Game story
In Week 18 of the 2017 NFL season on 2018-01-07, the Jacksonville Jaguars took care of business against the Buffalo Bills, pulling away with a 10–3 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q3 with 7 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
T. Taylor (Buffalo Bills) paced the passing game, with -8.42 total EPA, and -13.8% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, B. Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +2.72 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+13.4% win probability) landed in the third quarter when Jacksonville Jaguars changed the game: (:49) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 83-B.Koyack for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | — | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 B. Bortles · Jacksonville Jaguars · Rushing · +2.72 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.54 EPA/play
- 2 B. Koyack · Jacksonville Jaguars · Receiving · +2.50 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.50 EPA/play
- 3 M. Tolbert · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +1.84 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.84 EPA/play
- 4 L. McCoy · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +1.11 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
- 5 Z. Jones · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +0.57 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
- 6 K. Benjamin · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +0.34 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.17 EPA/play
- 7 D. Thompson · Buffalo Bills · Rushing · +0.10 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.10 EPA/play
- 8 M. Lee · Jacksonville Jaguars · Rushing · +0.07 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.07 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
B. Bortles — JAX · Rushing
B. Bortles posted the highest total EPA (+2.72) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Jacksonville Jaguars's efficiency. Across 5 counted snaps, they averaged +0.54 EPA per play.
The signature play (-4.71 EPA) came from Buffalo Bills: (11:32) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass short middle intended for 82-L.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 22-A.Colvin (44-M.Jack) at BUF 35. 22-A.Colvin to BUF 35 for no gain (82-L.Thomas).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Jacksonville Jaguars — B. Koyack (B. Bortles pass)
Field goals
- Buffalo Bills — S. Hauschka
- Jacksonville Jaguars — J. Lambo
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 3–3. Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the JAX 13 (Q2 31:53) — (1:53) 4-S.Hauschka 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-6-C.Schmidt.; Jacksonville Jaguars connected on a field goal from the BUF 26 (Q2 30:07) — (:07) 4-J.Lambo 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-C.Holba, Holder-3-B.Nortman..
The third quarter: Jacksonville Jaguars won the period 7–0. Jacksonville Jaguars found the end zone from the BUF 1 (Q3 15:49) — (:49) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 83-B.Koyack for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Jacksonville Jaguars added 1 points from the BUF 15 (Q3 15:42) — 4-J.Lambo extra point is GOOD, Center-49-C.Holba, Holder-3-B.Nortman..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Q3 15:49) — (:49) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 83-B.Koyack for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- Buffalo Bills (Q2 41:32) — (11:32) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass short middle intended for 82-L.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 22-A.Colvin (44-M.Jack) at BUF 35. 22-A.Colvin to BUF 35 for no gain (82-L.Thomas).
- Buffalo Bills (Q2 36:03) — (6:03) 5-T.Taylor scrambles up the middle to JAX 38 for 9 yards. PENALTY on JAX-91-Y.Ngakoue, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at JAX 38.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Q3 21:37) — (6:37) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 89-M.Lewis to BUF 29 for 16 yards (23-M.Hyde). BUF-23-M.Hyde was injured during the play.
- Buffalo Bills (Q2 32:53) — (2:53) (Field Goal formation) PENALTY on JAX-50-T.Smith, Neutral Zone Infraction, 2 yards, enforced at JAX 3 - No Play.
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Buffalo Bills (Q2 41:32) — (11:32) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass short middle intended for 82-L.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 22-A.Colvin (44-M.Jack) at BUF 35. 22-A.Colvin to BUF 35 for no gain (82-L.Thomas).
- Buffalo Bills (Q2 32:53) — (2:53) (Field Goal formation) PENALTY on JAX-50-T.Smith, Neutral Zone Infraction, 2 yards, enforced at JAX 3 - No Play.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Q3 15:49) — (:49) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 83-B.Koyack for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- Buffalo Bills (Q1 58:50) — (13:50) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass short left to 11-Z.Jones ran ob at BUF 43 for 15 yards.
Quarterback report card
T.Taylor led all passers in efficiency for Buffalo Bills, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- T.Taylor (Buffalo Bills) · 46 dropbacks · 37.0% completion · -13.8% CPOE · -0.18 EPA/play · -8.42 total EPA
- B.Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars) · 29 dropbacks · 41.4% completion · -15.5% CPOE · -0.18 EPA/play · -5.30 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Buffalo Bills | Jacksonville Jaguars |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.134 | -0.084 |
| Offensive success rate | 35.9% | 41.9% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.194 | -0.183 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.172 | -0.070 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.084 | +0.134 |
| Defensive success rate | 58.1% | 64.1% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Buffalo Bills -0.13, Jacksonville Jaguars -0.08) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Buffalo Bills: 12 drives, -12.31 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 12 drives, -6.25 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Jacksonville Jaguars leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- B. Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- T. Taylor (BUF) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- B. Bortles (JAX) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q2 31:53 · JAX 13 · Score 3-0
(1:53) 4-S.Hauschka 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-R.Ferguson, Holder-6-C.Schmidt. - Jacksonville Jaguars FG (+3) — Q2 30:07 · BUF 26 · Score 3-3
(:07) 4-J.Lambo 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-C.Holba, Holder-3-B.Nortman. - Jacksonville Jaguars TD (+6) — Q3 15:49 · BUF 1 · Score 3-9
(:49) 5-B.Bortles pass short middle to 83-B.Koyack for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Jacksonville Jaguars XP (+1) — Q3 15:42 · BUF 15 · Score 3-10
4-J.Lambo extra point is GOOD, Center-49-C.Holba, Holder-3-B.Nortman.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Buffalo Bills 10-3 in Week 18, 2017 on 2018-01-07.
What was the final score of Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
The final score was Buffalo Bills 3, Jacksonville Jaguars 10 (BUF 3-10 JAX) in Week 18, 2017 on 2018-01-07.
What was the score by quarter in Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
Q2: Buffalo Bills 3, Jacksonville Jaguars 3; Q3: Buffalo Bills 0, Jacksonville Jaguars 7; Final: Buffalo Bills 3, Jacksonville Jaguars 10.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
Jacksonville Jaguars touchdown — B. Koyack (B. Bortles pass) (Q3 15:49) Buffalo Bills field goal — S. Hauschka (Q2 31:53, 3 pts) Jacksonville Jaguars field goal — J. Lambo (Q2 30:07, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
T. Taylor (Buffalo Bills), 37.0% completion, -13.8% CPOE, -0.18 EPA per dropback, -8.42 total passing EPA. B. Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars), 41.4% completion, -15.5% CPOE, -0.18 EPA per dropback, -5.30 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars?
B. Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars) led the game in total EPA with +2.72 on rushing plays. across 5 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-4.71 EPA): (11:32) (Shotgun) 5-T.Taylor pass short middle intended for 82-L.Thomas INTERCEPTED by 22-A.Colvin (44-M.Jack) at BUF 35. 22-A.Colvin to BUF 35 for no gain (82-L.Thomas).. The biggest win-probability swing was +13.4%.
Was Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars a close game?
Yes — the margin was 7 points. Jacksonville Jaguars won 10-3 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
Buffalo Bills
Entered 9-7 Now 9-8 L
Jacksonville Jaguars
Entered 10-6 Now 11-6 W
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