Brace yourselves, London… Bills Mafia is heading to the UK! Cheered on by one of the most vocal and passionate fan bases in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills are among the powerhouse teams capable of winning the Super Bowl in 2023.
Led by superstar quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills have made the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and they have their fans dreaming of a first Super Bowl success. Buffalo have come close in the past, losing four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s.
Jacksonville have written plenty of UK-related headlines as regular visitors since 2013 and they will make more history as they become the first team to play in back-to-back games in London on successive weekends.
Five to Watch
Josh Allen – Quarterback – Buffalo Bills
From humble beginnings growing up on a cotton farm in California with very few college football scholarship offers, Josh Allen has emerged as one of the biggest superstars in recent NFL history. The two-time all-star rips defenses apart with his cannon for an arm but he also hurts opponents with his legs and can often be seen hurdling over would-be tacklers. He is absolute box office.
Stefon Diggs – Wide Receiver – Buffalo Bills
After starting his career with the Minnesota Vikings, Stefon Diggs is now in his fourth season with the Bills and he is firmly established as one of the best offensive weapons in the entire league. Diggs has recorded five straight 1,000-yard seasons and his connection with Allen is one of the best in the game. With an excellent mix of speed, vision and reliable hands, Diggs will be hard to ignore in London.
Damar Hamlin – Safety – Buffalo Bills
The entire world rallied around Buffalo’s young defender in January after he suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field after making a routine tackle against Cincinnati. Prior to that horrific event that stopped the football world in its tracks, Hamlin had emerged as a key defender for the Bills. His remarkable comeback will continue in London and there will be plenty of ‘3’ jerseys on display.
Foye Oluokun – Linebacker – Jacksonville Jaguars
If you see a tackle being made during the Bills-Jaguars game, there is a good chance that Jacksonville’s heat-seeking linebacker will be the one bringing down the opposing ball-carrier. Foye Oluokun recorded an NFL-leading 184 tackles in his first season with the Jags. And that was no fluke. In the prior 2021 season – his last with the Atlanta Falcons – Oluokun led the league with 192 stops. That’s 376 tackles in two years!
Josh Allen – Edge Rusher – Jacksonville Jaguars
There is another Josh Allen in the NFL and Jacksonville’s all-star defender is determined that you know he is every bit as deserving of your attention as Buffalo’s quarterback. And the Bills’ passer might not be keen to face his namesake for the second time in their respective careers. When the pair met in 2021, Jacksonville’s Josh Allen recorded a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery in a 9-6 win for the Jags.
Last time in London… Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars will have played 10 regular season games in London by the time they take on the Buffalo Bills. But this game will mark only their second outing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Jags recorded a stunning 23-20 win over the Miami Dolphins in 2021, securing the first victory of Trevor Lawrence’s NFL career on Matthew Wright’s 53-yard field goal as time expired.
Last time in London… Buffalo Bills
The Bills have only played one game in London and it was an absolute thriller against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015. The Jags jumped out to a 27-3 lead, but Buffalo stormed back and took the lead on Corey Graham’s 44-yard interception return with 5:21 remaining. But the Jags took the spoils in one of the most dramatic London games ever as Blake Bortles threw a TD pass to Allen Hurns with 2:16 left.
Did you know?... Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen had zero Division 1 college football offers coming out of high school in California. He had to play one season of junior college football at Reedley College before receiving that one all-important offer from Wyoming. He took full advantage of that opportunity and became Buffalo’s first round pick in 2018.
Did you know?... Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars defensive back Rayshawn Jenkins has 17 siblings. He describes life in such a large family this way: “It’s like being in training camp all day. It’s competition all over the house – who’s got the TV remote first, who’s eating first. You just have to claw your way to the top."