The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2023 season with high hopes and the weight of expectations.
The defending AFC South champions are favorites to defend their title and the Jaguars hope to go deeper than the Divisional Round of the playoffs this time around. But standing in their way is a tough schedule that comes with finishing first place.
Here are the six games on the Jaguars’ 2023 slate that stand out as particularly important:
Week 2: Chiefs at Jaguars
The Jaguars got two cracks at the eventual Super Bowl champs during the 2022 season. The first was a 27-17 loss in a November trip to Arrowhead Stadium. The Jaguars returned to Kansas City two months later for a Divisional Round game and lost again, 27-20.
This time, the Jaguars will host the Chiefs early in the season and they’ll get a litmus test of how they stack up against the cream of the NFL’s crop.
Week 5: Jaguars at Bills (London)
The Jaguars will face another top AFC contender in October when they meet the Bills. The circumstances around the matchup will be pretty unique, though.
It’ll be the second game in London for the Jaguars in as many weeks and it’ll be the first time ever that they’re designated as the visiting team in an international game. Both of those things could be much-needed advantages for the Jaguars against a tough opponent.
Week 10: 49ers at Jaguars
The Jaguars have never won a game in San Francisco. Fortunately for them, the 49ers have to make the cross-country trip to play at TIAA Bank Field.
San Francisco has a terrifying defense and seemingly struck gold when it landed Brock Purdy with the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft. But the Jaguars will be fresh off a bye and should be well-positioned to give the 49ers their best shot.
Week 13: Bengals at Jaguars
Joe Burrow vs. Trevor Lawrence. Monday Night Football. What’s not to love?
The Jaguars haven’t played a MNF game since the 2011 season, but they’ll get to break that streak by hosting one at TIAA Bank Field in December. It’d be surprising if serious playoff implications aren’t on the line in the matchup.
Week 15: Ravens vs. Jaguars
The Jaguars will snap their 12-year streak without a Monday Night Football game and they’re set to snap a 15-year Sunday Night Football drought too. The caveat is that late-season Sunday night games are subject to being flexed, so if either the Jaguars or Ravens falter in 2023, the game could get moved elsewhere in the schedule.
For now, though, the matchup looks to be a great one. When the two teams met in 2022, the Jaguars scored a touchdown and a go-ahead two-point conversion in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to win.
Week 18: Jaguars at Titans
The Jaguars are a significant favorite to win the AFC South, but if there’s going to be competition for the division title, it’ll likely come from Tennessee.
The best case scenario would be that Jacksonville has the division well in hand by the time Week 18 rolls around and postseason seeding is all that’s left at stake. Don’t be surprised if the Jaguars’ trip to Nashville has more on the line than that, though.
