Buffalo Bills defensive back Siran Neal (33) tackles Houston Texans wide receiver Chris Conley (18) during the fourth quarter.

 Mark Mulville / Buffalo News

Even without Taron Johnson, the Buffalo Bills stayed in their nickel defense Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Johnson, the Bills’ starter at slot cornerback, played just 11 snaps in a 9-6 loss to the Jaguars before leaving the game with a concussion. He was replaced by Siran Neal, who played 50 of 61 defensive snaps (82%). Neal finished with five tackles, but was penalized once each for illegal use of hands and pass interference.

"I thought Siran came in and did a really good job for us," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said. "When you're the backup, you're not getting as many reps as the starters, for sure, but he stayed on top of the game plan throughout the week, and when his number was called – and it was called early – he got better as the game went on. So really proud of the way he played and the way he came on as the game progressed."

Here are four more takeaways from the Bills’ snap counts against Jacksonville:

1. Zack Moss was limited to 19 snaps. The Bills’ second-year running back suffered a concussion in the third quarter. Without him, the Bills relied heavily on Devin Singletary, who played 48 of the 67 offensive snaps (72%).

2. Jordan Poyer and Cole Beasley played their usual amount. Both players were listed as questionable, but Poyer played all 61 defensive snaps despite a shoulder injury, while Beasley played 45 offensive snaps, which was 67% of the team total and about in line with his usual workload.

3. Tommy Sweeney once again played a lot. With Dawson Knox still out because of a broken hand, the Bills used Sweeney on 58 offensive snaps (87%). He finished with two catches for 10 yards.

4. Jaquan Johnson was limited to just four snaps. The Bills’ reserve safety, who has played at least 10 snaps on special teams in the first seven games of the season, left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return, limiting him to just four snaps on special teams.

Quote of the game

“You gotta come every day ready to play. This is the National Football League. We understand that. Doesn’t matter what the record indicates, every week, and I don't think we were ready to play today.” – safety Micah Hyde

Game ball: Josh Allen

No, not the one in red, white and blue. The Jaguars’ outside linebacker stuffed the stat sheet with eight tackles, one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Stat of the game: 3-1, 12-118

It’s a tie this week for stat of the game. The first is the turnover margin in the game. The second is the number of penalties and yards lost for the Bills. Together, those two are how a 15.5-point underdog such as the Jaguars was able to pull off the upset of the NFL season.

Coming attractions

Sunday can’t come soon enough for the Bills, who will want to put this loss to the Jaguars as far behind them as possible. They’ll get that chance against an AFC East rival, visiting the New York Jets at Metlife Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday. Here are three things to know about the Jets …

1. The quarterback situation is unsettled. Rookie Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft, has been out with a knee injury for the past two games, but is expected to return to practice this week. Backup Mike White, who led a stunning upset of the Bengals on Halloween, has gone 44 of 56 (78.6%) for 500 yards and four touchdowns in five quarters in place of Wilson, but left the Jets’ Week 9 loss to Indianapolis in the first quarter because of a forearm injury. He’s also expected to be ready to practice, leaving coach Robert Saleh with a quarterback decision.

2. The team lost one of its defensive leaders last week. Safety Marcus Maye, who is playing this year on the franchise tag, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon against Indianapolis. Maye is a former second-round draft pick out of Florida in 2017.

3. Elijah Moore has taken advantage of his opportunity. No. 1 receiver Corey Davis has been out for the Jets the past two games because of a hip injury. In his absence, Moore has made 13 catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

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