5 Jaguars games that should be in primetime in 2024 (but probably won't)
Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills
The Jaguars will probably want to face the Buffalo Bills early in the season. Otherwise, they might need to play under the elements, which would be less than ideal. Conversely, that would be a great opportunity to show that they can leave their comfort zone and prove that they can get a gritty win.
Head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke talked about being more physical after failing to make the playoffs in 2023. It's fair to say that they have much better in the lines of scrimmage, so they may have a shot at beating Buffalo late in the season. That said, it would also be great to see Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen get into a shootout.
Last year, Jacksonville beat the Bills in London. They also pulled off an upset in 2021, when they beat them 9-6, in part because pass rusher Josh Allen had one of the most dominant bouts of his career. For their part, Buffalo would surely like to beat the Jaguars and the Jags probably want to show they're once again the team that made the playoffs and upset the Los Angeles Charges in 2022. Getting a win against the Bills would accomplish that.
Jaguars @ Philadelphia Eagles
The Jaguars and the Philadelphia Eagles don't have a long history of facing each other but they do share one thing, or better said, a head coach in common. Before being hired by Jacksonville, Doug Pederson coached in Philly for five years and helped them beat the New England Patriots in 2017.
Pederson ultimately resigned after 2020 because owner Jeffrey Lurie didn't like his picks for coaching staff (e.g. Press Taylor). After a year away from football, he became the head coach of the Jaguars and faced the team that previously employed him in his first season at the helm. They lost. It was a rainy game and they had a shot at coming out on top but couldn't seal the deal.
The Jaguars may be incentivized to help their coach get their first win over his former team, while the Eagles will want to bounce back from their collapse to end 2023. This could make for an intriguing matchup, one that deserves to be featured on primetime TV.