Morse and Davis return to Buffalo with Jaguars and respect for ‘beautiful’ Bills Mafia

Mitch Morse expects “a different opportunity” when he experiences Highmark Stadium as a visitor for the first time.

Morse spent the last five years as Buffalo’s starting center and saw how “it sucks for the other team.” Now he’ll be among those heckled when he returns to the Bills’ stadium with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.

“It’s a special group of people and it’s a special level of intoxication that they reach in the game,” Morse said. “But it’s a wonderful fan base and one that I’ve nurtured for five years.

“It’s definitely going to be another opportunity to have stuff thrown at you instead of watching it suck for the other team. Now I’ve got to dodge stuff and dunk it. That’s going to be good.”

Thanks to Morse, receiver Gabe Davis, special teams coach Heath Farwell and receivers coach Chad Hall, the Jaguars should have an idea of ​​how to better handle one of the NFL’s most daunting road games. All four have worked in Buffalo in recent years.

Morse and Davis played on the same side of the court there for four seasons and it was no coincidence that they ended up in Jacksonville together.

The Jaguars were eager to add veterans with playoff experience, so they signed Morse, Davis, defensive lineman Arik Armstead from San Francisco, safety Darnell Savage from Green Bay and cornerback Ronald Darby and return specialist Devin Duvernay from Baltimore.

Morse and Davis are the only ones slated for a seeming homecoming this season as the Jaguars (0-2) continue to struggle to find their feet.

Jacksonville has struggled offensively, averaging just 15 points while quarterback Trevor Lawrence continues to make rookie mistakes behind an inconsistent line and continues to play without Pro Bowl tight end Evan Engram (hamstring). Coach Doug Pederson isn’t ready to panic and will keep his starting lineup intact against the 2-0 Bills.

“The message you’re sending is don’t get caught up in the emotional roller coaster that the NFL is, that expects you to be outside the building,” Morse said. “If you buy into that, you’re not going to be in the right frame of mind to go into the day. Keep it isolated, keep it inside, and don’t ride the wave.

“We know we have to work. … We have a great opportunity against a very good opponent in a very hostile environment.”

The Bills have won 11 of their last 12 home games, with the lone loss coming in a last-second debacle to Denver last season, so the Jaguars understand how close to perfection they have to play to win a prime-time road game in that environment.

“It’s unreal,” Davis said. “The Buffalo fan base is amazing. They support their team like no other. That’s what I loved about Buffalo, they were there no matter what, school nights and everything. It’s awesome to see and I’m glad the guys get to experience something like this because it’s an unreal stadium.”

Morse played the first four years of his NFL career with Kansas City and never played in Buffalo, so he got a crash course in the Bills Mafia and their awesome tailgates when he signed with the Bills in 2019.

“It’s a very excited crowd,” he joked.

The Jags have lost three straight in Buffalo, most recently in 2010. Pederson and his players hesitated to call this a must-win scenario. But given how few NFL teams start 0-3 and make the playoffs, they realize what’s at stake.

“The fans are going to be pumped up and ready to go,” Pederson said. “It’s going to be good for us. It’s a benchmark. It’s a benchmark game now.”

Morse knows this all too well, having been on a Kansas City team that started 1-5 in 2016 but went on to win 11 straight. He’s also been on several teams that started well but faltered in the final minutes.

“I’ve seen a lot,” he said. “The teams that don’t seem to be on the roller coaster, that weather the storms that are coming, are the teams that care about each other and fight for each other, but also have a sense of urgency.

“I’m not saying it’s all good. There are definitely things we need to fix, don’t get me wrong. We’re just going to work on it and do it in a constructive way.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Mark Long, Associated Press