The Jacksonville Jaguars went 4-3 in the first seven weeks of the season. That's mostly positive when you take into account that they already have as many wins as they had last year. Moreover, the Jags showed promise early in the Liam Coen era. On the other hand, the losses have exposed their weaknesses. The good news is that Jacksonville's BYE couldn't come at a better time.
The coaching staff will need to take advantage of the opportunity to hone fundamentals and execution, while the front office needs to look for ways to address the larger scale roster. If the Jaguars make the most of their time off, they should be able to bounce back in the second half of the season, especially when you take into account that they'll have a huge thing going in their favor.
The Jaguars have a favorable strength of schedule after the BYE
The Jaguars had the second-easiest strength of schedule in the NFL earlier this year. However, that was based on how things played out in 2024. Things have changed after seven weeks: Clubs that weren't expected to contend for a playoff spot have suddenly emerged, while a few others have underachieved.
But despite all the changes that have taken place, the Jags still have a favorable strength of the schedule for the remainder of the season. In fact, they have the easiest in the league. This makes sense when you take into account that they're going to face bottom-dwellers such as the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5), the Houston Texans (2-6) — Jacksonville already beat them once — the Tennessee Titans (1-6), the New York Jets (0-6), and the Arizona Cardinals (2-5).
Of course, the Jaguars cannot overlook any of those clubs, especially the Titans and Houston, since divisional games always come to the wire. Similarly, they'll have to face an Indianapolis Colts team that suddenly has the best record in the conference.
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The Jaguars must take advantage of their easy strength of schedule
The Jaguars are in a favorable position to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence, but it's fair to wonder if they can take advantage of the opportunity. In the first half of the season, they've struggled with drops, communication (or lack thereof), and penalties.
To make matters worse, the offensive line has struggled to block in recent weeks after being one of the best units in the NFL earlier this year. Similarly, the defense started strong, but the dearth of takeaways the past few games has exposed its weaknesses.
Head coach Liam Coen acknowledged after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams that the buck stops with him, noting that it's up to him to figure out how to steer the ship in the right direction. On the other hand, players must do their part and execute.
If they do, the Jaguars will turn heads once they return from their BYE.