The Bills host the Jaguars at 1 p.m. Sunday at New Era Field.

The game be seen on CBS channel 8 and heard on 96.5 FM and 950 AM.

The Bills and Jaguars are meeting for the 17th time counting playoffs, and each side has won 8 games.

The last time the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars met, it was in the 2017 playoffs after Jacksonville won the AFC South with a 10-6 record, and Buffalo had just ended its 17-year playoff drought and traveled south with a 9-7 record.

Less than 11 months removed from that ugly 10-3 Jacksonville victory, both teams have hit the skids and they go into their game at New Era Field Sunday with matching 3-7 records, essentially eliminated from the playoff chase.

The Bills’ slide back into mediocrity was predictable given their horrific, season-long situation at quarterback, among several other problem areas on offense. The Jaguars’ collapse is mystifying, especially after a 2-0 start, the second of those victories a 31-20 win over the Patriots.

On Wednesday, Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said, “Every season presents different challenges. I think, to me on paper, they’re the most talented team in the NFL, arguably the most talented team, and we’ve got a lot of respect for that talent. They do a great job. Things haven’t fallen their way, but you saw what they’re capable of last week against a very good Pittsburgh team. It’ll be a big challenge for us and our young football team.”

But last week was a microcosm of the Jaguars’ season. Their defense was outstanding as they opened a 16-0 third-quarter lead, but their offense was mostly terrible, especially in the fourth quarter, and they wound up caving in and losing 20-16 to the Steelers.

Like the Bills, all you need to do is look at the quarterback. Blake Bortles is having yet another season of inconsistency as he ranks 25th in passer rating and 29th in completion percentage, and his struggles are the primary reason why the Jaguars are on a league-worst six-game losing streak.

Here’s my preview of the game:

Three ...

1.Will Josh Allen be rusty in his return from a month-plus layoff? His elbow injury was unfortunate because it cost the very raw rookie precious game action which he sorely needs. On the flip side, Allen was struggling at the time of the injury, and perhaps some time to sit back and watch from afar would be useful for his long-term growth. I don’t buy that. Allen’s injury only slowed the timeline and pushed back his development, and now the Bills have to hope he can get through these final six games unscathed and make up for some of those lost reps. He has to ramp it back up after missing four games, and for a quarterback who was already struggling with his accuracy, that’s a concern, especially against an outstanding Jacksonville pass defense.

2. Will offensive coordinator Brian Daboll give Allen a meatier game plan to work with? It was interesting to see how Daboll attacked the Jets two weeks ago. After a season filled with conservative play-calling due to the inexperience of Allen and Nathan Peterman, Daboll opened things up in New York because he trusted veteran Matt Barkley to handle it, even though Barkley had been with the team less than two weeks. Allen has been in the playbook since he arrived in May and obviously knows it better than Barkley, so let’s see what he can do with a bigger selection. The Bills are at home so crowd noise won’t be a factor, and there’s no reason to hold back now, not with a 3-7 record. The homestretch needs to be all about developing Allen, and keeping his hands tied with conservative play calls would only be a detriment. Is it possible that he’ll make mistakes? Of course, but as long as he learns from them, that’s fine.

3. Will the first team to reach double digits win? These two offenses are among the worst in the league as Buffalo remains last in scoring and Jacksonville is 29th, this is very possible. This figures to be an ugly, low-scoring slog of an affair. Based on what we’ve already seen of him, it’s tough to conclude that Allen is going to suddenly find success against a strong, athletic and well-schemed defense like the Jaguars. And based on what we’ve seen for five years from Jags QB Blake Bortles, we know not to expect much from him, either. Both teams will probably be true to their identities and try to pound it on the ground, and Jacksonville is a little better-suited to that style with its three-headed rotation of Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon (who is also the leading receiver thanks to Bortles’ propensity to check down) and Carlos Hyde. This game could very well come down to field goals, or perhaps a game-deciding defensive score.

and Out

The storylines are abundant as Marcell Dareus will be making his return to One Bills Drive, as will Doug Marrone. And of course there’s the whole Allen-Jalen Ramsey issue stemming from when Ramsey said Allen was “trash” and a “stupid” pick by the Bills. But really, what this game represents is two disappointing teams going nowhere in 2018 and there’s not a whole lot to get jazzed up about. Sure, it will be interesting to see if Ramsey can pick off Allen, and whether Dareus can remind the Bills that he can occasionally be a force in the middle of the line. As for Marrone, I don’t think anyone cares much about St. Doug anymore since the Bills are on their second coach since he took his $4 million parachute after the 2014 season. Ultimately, what we should be paying attention to is how the Bills’ young players fare against a team that certainly has talent despite its lousy record. Allen will be the prime focus as he returns to action, but I also want to see if WR Zay Jones can continue to ascend; if WR Robert Foster can prove the Jets’ game wasn’t a fluke; if LG Wyatt Teller can handle the likes of Dareus and Malik Jackson in the middle; if new WR/PR Isaiah McKenzie can be a multiple-threat as he was in New York, giving the Bills some interesting options; if LBs Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano can keep making plays all over the field; if CB Levi Wallace, who played every defensive snap in New York, proves to be the answer opposite Tre’Davious White. The win in New York changed nothing: This season is still all about preparing those who will be part of the process for 2019 and beyond, and this will be a good test. MY PICK: Bills 13, Jaguars 9.

By the Numbers

13 — Touchdowns scored by the Bills this season in 10 games, which is one fewer than the Rams and Chiefs combined for in their epic Monday night game.

200 — If the Bills hold the Jaguars below that yardage total, it will be the first time in franchise history they have done so in three straight games.

120 — That’s how many rushing yards LeSean McCoy needs to move into 25th place on the all-time NFL list. He’s currently at 10,472.

Talking points

► Josh Allen on the Jaguars defense: “This Jacksonville defense is going to be one of the best defenses we’ve played all year. They’ve got some really good players on that side, their linebackers move very well and their front four, they pay them a lot of money for a very good reason; they’ve got some studs up front and in the back.”

► Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey explaining his calling Josh Allen “trash” and why the Bills made a “stupid” pick: “Everybody who knows me knows why I was so hard on him. If you don’t know me, that’s on you. If y’all look deep into it, y’all can figure out why I was so harsh.”

► Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier on stopping the scrambling of Bortles: “He was the leading rusher in the (playoff game last year), which says a lot for a quarterback. He still is running the football effectively for their offense, scrambling to get first downs on third downs, scrambling to create plays and early downs, so that hasn’t changed. We’ll have to do a better job of containing him and limiting the number of yards he gets and creating plays for their offense. He’s a very good athlete and he presents a challenge with his scrambling ability.”

Quote to Note

► Kelvin Benjamin on his sour season: “My first season like this. I’ve learned a lot about myself though. I’ve been bombarded by everybody. I mean bombarded with just social media. I can’t really get on there and really have fun with it no more because they’ve kinda taken the fun out of that. Just bombarded by the fans, bombarded by people. It’s the way of our life, I guess, right now.”

NFL rankings

Bills Jaguars

Total offense: 268.6 yards (31st) 347.8 (21st)

Rush offense: 108.8 yards (T17th) 103.0 (22nd)

Pass offense: 159.8 yards (32nd) 244.8 (16th)

Points scored: 13.7 (32nd) 17.6 (29th)

Total defense: 302.2 yards (2nd) 319.5 (4th)

Rush defense: 99.8 yards (10th) 109.3 (15th)

Pass defense: 202.4 yards (1st) 210.2 (3rd)

Points allowed: 25.1 (19th) 21.9 (9th)

Individual leaders

Rushing



Bills: LeSean McCoy 111 carries, 380 yards; Chris Ivory 80-280; Marcus Murphy 36-198; Josh Allen 35-155.

Jaguars: T.J. Yeldon 89-369; Blake Bortles 44-286; Leonard Fournette 72-219.

Passing

Bills: Josh Allen 75 of 139, 832 yards, 2 TDs, 5 interceptions; Derek Anderson 42 of 70, 465 yards, 0 TDs, 4 interceptions; Nathan Peterman 44 of 81, 296 yards, 1 TD, 7 interceptions; Matt Barkley 15 of 25, 232 yards, 2 TDs, 0 interceptions.

Jaguars: Blake Bortles 211 of 346, 2,445 yards, 12 TDs, 8 interceptions.

Receiving

Bills: Zay Jones 37 catches, 392 yards; LeSean McCoy 24-191; Kelvin Benjamin 20-302; Charles Clay 19-169; Jason Croom 13-131; Chris Ivory 12-159; Andre Holmes 12-157.

Jaguars: T.J. Yeldon 44-406; Dede Westbrook 40-484; Donte Moncrief 33-488; Keelan Cole 29-275.

Bills schedule

9/9 at Ravens, L 3-47

9/16 vs. Chargers, L 20-31

9/23 at Vikings, W 27-6

9/30 at Packers, L 0-22

10/7 vs. Titans, W 13-12

10/14 at Texans, L 13-20

10/21 at Colts, L 5-37

10/29 vs. Patriots, L 6-25

11/4 vs. Bears, L 9-41

11/11 at NY Jets, W 41-10

11/25 vs. Jaguars, 1 p.m.

12/2 at Dolphins, 1 p.m.

12/9 vs. Jets, 1 p.m.

12/16 vs. Lions, 1 p.m.

12/23 at Patriots, 1 p.m.

12/30 vs. Dolphins, 1 p.m.

MAIORANA@Gannett.com

More:Bills vs. Jaguars: How to watch, listen, plus things to know before kickoff

Thanks to Bills DE Shaq Lawson, his dad's 'name will forever be known' at youth field

Wyatt Teller thought it would be cool to block Jags' Malik Jackson and now he has chance