5 most important Jaguars games for the 2024 NFL season
Jaguars @ Eagles Week 9
Leaving aside the fact that head coach Doug Pederson will want to get his first win over the team he took to Super Bowl 52, the Jaguars must beat the Philadelphia Eagles at the Linc. These two clubs faced off against each other in 2022 and Philly came out on top.
At the time, Trevor Lawrence was finding his way and Jacksonville was still trying to figure out their identity. Fast forward to 2024 and Lawrence is looking to cement his place as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
Pederson, for his part, is entering a pivotal year. He needs to show progress or could find himself in the hot seat after the season. Beating his former team in primetime TV — and if the Jaguars have a winning record at that time — could help him join the early conversation for coach of the year.
Sure, there would still be plenty of football left in 2024, but Pederson would at least quell potential questions about his viability as the head coach in Jacksonville.
@Bills Week 3
This could be one of the Jaguars' toughest matchups early in the season. They beat the Buffalo Bills last year but they were seemingly jet lagged, having not properly prepared for the trip to London. This time, the bout will be in the Bills' home turf.
Working in Jacksonville's favor is that it will be early in the season, so they won't have to worry about the elements. But bad weather or not, they could struggle to put the Bills away.
This will be Joe Brady's first season as Buffalo's offensive coordinator full-time. By now, Josh Allen should be on the same wavelength as him, which will lead to a more efficient passing game. Even though they lost Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason, they drafted Keon Coleman, so Allen won't be totally devoid of weapons.
Furthermore, their defense didn't undergo major changes, so it should be one of the best in the league again. Having said that, the Jaguars are no slouch, and beating the Bills could set the tone for the rest of the season.