The Jacksonville Jaguars have a tough schedule for the 2025 season. They'll have to deal with a gauntlet of difficult matchups early in the year and will later spend several weeks away from home after their BYE. That said, not everything is doom and gloom. The Jags were late in the season, one that could help them sneak into the playoffs.
John Breech of CBS Sports recently came up with one good thing (and a bad one) for every NFL team in this year's schedule. For Jacksonville, he brought up a three-game slate of teams with less-than-ideal quarterback situations from Weeks 13 to 15.
"If the Jaguars can keep their head above water, they'll get a stretch late in the season where they have three straight games against quarterbacks who will be in their first year with a new team. That span will include games against the Titans (Cam Ward), Colts (possibly Daniel Jones) and Jets (Justin Fields)."
Breech goes on to say that if the Jaguars go 3-0 in that stretch, they could make a strong push to win the AFC South and qualify for the postseason.
If you want to go a step further, the Jags will see two of those three teams again: The Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 and the Tennessee Titans in the finale. It's also worth noting that this manageable stretch will come at the same time as their gauntlet of away games after the BYE week ends. From Weeks 9 to 13, Jacksonville will only have one home game.
Cam Ward, the first overall pick in the 2025 draft, has generally gotten positive reviews, but the Tennessee Titans had more issues beyond the quarterback position. So even if the former Miami Hurricane turns out to be the long-term answer behind center, they'll need another year or two to realistically compete for a playoff spot. In fact, they're expected to once again be the worst team in the NFL next season.
On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts signed Daniel Jones as a free agent because they're not pleased with third-year pro Anthony Richardson's replacement. Then again, Jones wasn't particularly great during his stint with the New York Giants, and already is on his third team in less than a year. This is a long-winded way to say that even if he beats Richardson for the starting job, he won't inspire much confidence.
Last but not least is Justin Fields, who was drafted in the same year as Trevor Lawrence. The Chicago Bears gave up on him after three seasons, and he promptly joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although he got off to a somewhat positive start to 2024, he was benched in favor of Russell Wilson. The former Ohio State product is looking to resurrect his career in the Big Apple.
Why the NFL schedule favors the Jaguars to win the AFC South and make the playoffs
The Jacksonville Jaguars are flying under the radar ahead of the 2025 season. Getting just one primetime game, against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5, it's proof of it. That said, they have enough pieces in place to make you think that maybe they can be a surprise team. The fact that the Jags will have a relatively manageable slate of games to finish the year should certainly help. Of course, they'll need to first survive the early stretch.
From Weeks 2 to 5, the Jaguars will face the Cincinnati Bengals, the Houston Texans, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Chiefs. Those are among the best clubs in the league. Then, Jacksonville will take on the Seattle Seahawks before playing the Los Angeles Rams in London.
If the Jaguars manage to go 4-3 or 3-4 before their BYE, they could begin a playoff run in the second half. It's certainly doable, but it won't be a walk in the park. Working in their favor is that although this will be the first year Liam Coen is a head coach, he should have no trouble re-energizing his team and steering the right direction. If he can do for the Jacksonville offense what he did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, there will be a chance.
Facing a handful of teams trying to figuring out the quarterback position should most definitely help.
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