Earlier this week, it seemed like the NFL was going to need to postpone the announcement of the 17-game schedule for the 17-season but there won't be any delays after all and it will be released on Thursday Night at 8:00 p.m. ET. While the Jacksonville Jaguars already found out that they'll be facing the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills as part of the NFL International series, they don't know the order of the rest of their opponents.
Among the teams the Jags will face in 2023 are the San Francisco 49ers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Kansas City Chiefs, all playoff teams last year. On the other hand, there are clubs that might not look good on paper but could end up giving Jacksonville a headache. Specifically, these three teams have the potential to pull off an upset if the Jags take them lightly
No. 3 trap game on the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule: @ Cleveland Browns
The Browns went 7-10 last year but that was mostly because Deshaun Watson served a suspension early in the season and once he was able to take the field, he was rusty, which is understandable when you take into account that he had not played since 2020.
With ample time to get his groove back, Watson could present a tough challenge for the Jaguars in 2022. If the former Clemson Tiger can play the way he did early in his tenure with the Houston Texans, he will give the Browns a chance to compete week in and week out.
Led by Amari Cooper, Cleveland's wide receiver corps is nothing to joke about and if the Jaguars don't bring their A game to FirstEnergy Stadium, they'll run the risk of leaving with a loss.
No. 2 trap game on the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You might probably wonder why this has the potential to become a trap game for the Jags if Tampa Bay won the NFC South title last season. But the Buccaneers underwent lots of changes in the offseason and expectations aren't particularly high for them in 2023.
For starters, Tom Brady is no longer the quarterback after finally deciding to hang up the cleats. While Tom Terrific has previously entertained the idea of returning, it looks like he'll stay retired this time around. To fill the void he left, the Bucs signed former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to compete with 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask.
Even though Mayfield flashed at times during his time in Cleveland, he wasn't able to put it all together, which led the Browns to acquire Deshaun Watson last season. Having said that, the former Oklahoma Sooner is likely incentivized to prove he's a top quarterback after a couple of failed stops with the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams last year.
Working in Mayfield's favor is that he's got a wide array of weapons in Tampa Bay, including wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. Another thing that makes the Bucs a sneaky good team is their defense, which is nothing to scoff at. In particular, their front seven could be hard to stop, thanks to the presence of defensive tackle Vita Vae, linebacker Devin White and edge rusher Shaquil Barrett.
No. 1 trap game on the Jacksonville Jaguars schedule: vs. Houston Texans
By now, you have probably heard Pacman Jones saying the Jaguars aren't the top team in the AFC South, adding that he would give that distinction to the Houston Texans. While that's a puzzling take, it's fair to point out that the Jags division foes had one of the most productive offseason of every club in the NFL.
Besides signing tight end Dalton Schultz, wide receiver Robert Woods, linebacker Denzel Perryman and running back Devin Singletary, the Texans traded for offensive guard Shaq Mason and gave left tackle Laremy Tunsil a new deal, ensuring that C.J. Stroud has optimal protection up front.
Speaking of Stroud, Houston came out of the draft with a handful of players that could turn out to be core pieces. This isn't to say Jones is right and the Texans are better than Jacksonville but sweeping their division rival in 2023 might not have been as easy as it seemed earlier this year.
Just last year, Jacksonville split the series, losing to a Davis Mills-led Texans team in their first divisional encounter. With head coach DeMeco Ryans in place and a more talented roster, Houston won't surrender without a fight. In fact, it wouldn't be shocking to see them finish second in the division, behind the Jaguars, of course.
The bottom line is that winning in the NFL is tough and if the Jaguars overlook Houston, they run the risk of losing a game. When you consider that they'll be looking for the best possible playoff seeding, every loss counts, so they can't afford to take the foot off the pedal.