JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Right now would be a good time to pump the brakes on all that talk about how the Buffalo Bills are the best team in the AFC, and a legitimate contender to not only get to the Super Bowl, but win it.

They aren’t.

No team that plays as absolutely horribly as they played against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon in their 9-6 loss is worthy of that recognition.

And this is yet another reminder why you should never think anything is going to be easy in the NFL, no matter what the matchup. There isn’t a soul on the planet who didn’t think the Bills would win this game by double digits – heck, three touchdowns, maybe more.

Instead, we watched that debacle, a game that could prove to be devastating later in the season when it comes time to decide homefield advantage in the playoffs.

Report card: Josh Allen said he played like (expletive). So did the entire offense

The Bills who showed up at TIAA Bank Field to play a team that, before Sunday, was a serious threat to be making the first overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second year in a row, shouldn’t even be considered the favorites in the AFC East.

That mantle might already belong to the red-hot Patriots who won again and are now just a game behind the Bills.

Here are three quick thoughts:

1. The offensive line is a train wreck

Who could have possibly thought that losing Jon Feliciano, a guard who is average, and tackle Spencer Brown, who is a rookie with three starts under his belt, could have had such an impact on this game? No one.

But there you have it. The Bills were forced to play Cody and Ike Boettger at the guard positions with Daryl Williams moving to right tackle, and all three of them played a major role in one of the worst performances of any Bills offensive line in recent memory.

That was a disgrace what took place with all those Bills fans watching in person. And the problem is, the Bills have nowhere else to turn. The trade deadline is passed, and it’s not like there are useful offensive linemen out there just waiting for the Bills to call.

2. The line aside, Josh Allen was terrible

That looked like rookie year Allen. He was overwhelmed by the Jaguars pressure and made some of the same decisions that had people wondering back in 2018 – and even most of 2019 – whether he would ever become a legitimate NFL quarterback.

It was alarming, really. He threw two egregious interceptions, lost a fumble in Jags territory when the Bills were finally getting something cooking in the fourth quarter, failed to escape the on numerous occasions (four sacks), and was off target on throws he has been making in his sleep since the start of 2020.

Just as alarming was the performance of Stefon Diggs and Emmanuel Sanders. Where were they all day? This was a game where the Bills should have had matchup advantages everywhere, and it was the complete opposite. The Jaguars defense covered everything, and it certainly helped that they didn’t have to do it for very long because the Bills offensive line caved in so quickly on just about every dropback.

3. Penalties were an abomination

This has been a season-long problem for the Bills. They’re one of the most penalized teams in the NFL with five games of at least nine calls, but they went above and beyond in this game.

They were flagged for four personal foul penalties, plus a taunting foul along with the usual array of false starts, holds and other such nonsense that Sean McDermott needs to get a grip on. They had 12 for 118 yards, and it seemed like every one was a killer.

Penalties are the result of poor execution, and sometimes stupidity, and the coaching staff has to take some of the blame for that.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills were abysmal in shocking loss to Jacksonville Jaguars