It's official, the NFL will announce the 17-game schedule for the 2023 regular season on Thursday, May 11 and there are few things the Jacksonville Jaguars would like to see.
The league usually releases the schedule for the regular season two weeks after the draft. This year though, Peter King of NBC Sports wrote in his latest Football Morning in America column that there could be a potential delay. Fortunately, there won't be any setbacks and it will be announced on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. E.T.
This year's schedule will feature a few changes though. For the first time ever, a game will be held on Black Friday, games are no longer exclusive to networks, clubs are eligible to appear on Thursday Night Football more than once in a season and not every team will have a primetime game.
Putting the schedule together is a daunting task but the Jaguars would like appreciate it if they can get these three wishes for the 2023 season.
3. The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Buffalo Bills early in the 2023 season
The Jags are slated to face off against many of the AFC heavyweights and the San Francisco 49ers, one of the top clubs in the NFC. However, most of the games will be held at TIAA Bank Field, with one exception, the one against the Buffalo Bills.
The Jaguars showed in 2022 that they can go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the league. But playing at Highmark Stadium late in the season might not be optimal due to the weather. It's true that the elements would affect both teams but by virtue of being the home team, Buffalo would have a slight edge.
This game could turn out to be a potential tie-breaker in the playoff seeding, so the Jaguars can't afford to lose. This is why they would benefit from playing it early in the season when weather conditions aren't as harsh.
2. The NFL needs to give the Jacksonville Jaguars a Bye late in the 2023 season
Bye Weeks give teams the chance to regroup and take a break from the rigors of football and the later clubs get to rest the better. If they get the Bye too early in the season, the might be exhausted towards the end. Conversely, having a Week off in the second half of the season allows players to heal and the coaching staff to re-adust.
Last season, the Jaguars got their Bye at the right time. Coming off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and with a foot out of playoff contention, they went on to win six of their last seven games to qualify for the postseason and win the AFC South title.
Had the Jags gotten their Bye earlier in the season, they might not have been able to put it all together and make the playoffs. While there's a chance they'll get off to a hotter start in 2023, they would still benefit from having a week off late in the season.
If the Jags face the Chiefs, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills, and the San Francisco 49ers early in the season, a Bye in the second half would give them the chance to rest. Conversely, if they end up getting a tough slate to end the year, a week off right before would let them prepare to finish strong.
3. The Jacksonville Jaguars deserve two or three primetime games in 2023
The Jaguars haven't gotten more than one primetime game in a season in a while but that's because they hadn't been relevant. That changed last season, when they got a couple of Saturday Night games, first against the Tennessee Titans in the finale and later against the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Wild Card Weekend.
Jacksonville is poised to pick up where they left off last year and they should once again be a big draw due to the presence of Trevor Lawrence, who is quickly becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The Jags will face some of the top teams in the league and all those games will have a national appeal.
Critics argue that the Jaguars have only one good season in the last four years and that's a fair point. However, this Jaguars team is built to last and with head coach Doug Pederson leading the way, it's hard to see them regressing in 2023. In fact, they have the potential to make some serious noise. That's why it would be disappointing if they don't get at least two primetime games, although three would be best.
The Jags won't mind getting a less appealing Thursday Night game as long as they also play one on Sunday night and another on Monday Night Football. Again, this would have been unthinkable in previous years, but not anymore. The league needs to do the right thing and let a national audience see how good the Jacksonville Jaguars currently are.