5 most important Jaguars games for the 2024 NFL season

The Jacksonville Jaguars revealed their schedule for the 2024 NFL Season with an X-Men-themed video. One quick glance at their calendar shows that they'll face several playoff contenders and a few rebuilding teams.

The Jags will want to win every game they'll play but there will be a few that could end up having bigger ramifications than others. This begs the question, which are the most important contests in Jacksonville's 2024 schedule? Here are five that come to mind.

Jaguars @ Colts Week 18

Ideally, the Jaguars will have locked up a playoff seed by Week 17 but that's not likely. Instead, expect them to enter the finale needing to beat the Indianapolis Colts to either make the playoffs or win the AFC South.

Last year, the Houston Texans, Indy, and the Jags were in a three-way race for a playoff spot for most of the year, and things didn't get sorted out until the finale. It may not be much different in 2024.

The Colts will get back Anthony Richardson who's recovering from a season-ending shoulder injury. The Colts managed to remain competitive in 2023 with Gardner Minshew behind center. They should be much better with a healthy and more experienced Richardson back in the fold.

Moreover, Richardson has a new target in Adonai Mitchell, who'll form a 1-2 punch at receiver alongside Michael Pittman Jr. On the other hand, their defensive front remains as formidable as it has been the past few years. Grover Stewart, one of the most underrated defensive tackles in the NFL, is back after flirting with free agency. Samson Ebukan has developed into a dependable pass rusher and DeForest Bucker is still elite.

There's a good chance the Jags will beat Indy at home in Week 5. They haven't lost at the Bank since 2014 but the outcome of that game will have no bearing on the rematch, which could turn out to be of the winner-takes-all variety.