Game-by-game predictions for 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars schedule

With the 2023 NFL Draft now in the books, it's time for teams to turn their attention to Organize Team Activities (OTAs). But before the next phase of offseason workouts starts, the league has unveiled the 17-game schedule for all 32 teams, and let's just say that the Jacksonville Jaguars got a tough slate

The Jags will face off against several teams that qualified for the postseason last year, including the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The good news is that Jacksonville restocked its roster in the offseason and can go toe-to-toe with the league's heavyweights. Moreover, they got three primetime games and they'll play in both Monday and Sunday Night Football for the first time in more than 10 years.

Having said that, Jacksonville can't underestimate anyone on their schedule, even those clubs in rebuilding mode, if they want to avoid being on the wrong end of an upset.

So how does the Jaguars' schedule look for the 2023 season? How many wins will they rack up? Here's a prediction for all 17 games.

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Week 1

Week 1 @ Colts: The Jaguars have had great success against the Colts at home, having won six straight games at TIAA Bank Field. However, they don't fare as well when they play in Indianapolis, holding a 0-5 record since 2017. They'll have the chance to end the streak in the season opener though.

Working in the Jaguars' favor is that this is the most talented team they've assembled in years and they have a good chance to sweep their division rivals. It won't be easy though.
Although the Colts ranked 15th in points allowed in 2022, they still have lots of talent on defense, including defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, edge rusher Kwity Paye and linebacker Shaquille Leonard.

On the other hand, the offense is lacking a bonafide No. 1 receiver and it's uncertain if running back Jonathan Taylor can get back in All-Pro shape. For these reasons, the Jags might have a realistic shot at sweeping the Colts next season. Win

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 2 and 3

Week 2 vs. Chiefs: For the Jags' season opener, they'll face the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, who are the team to beat, not just in the conference but in the whole league. With Patrick Mahomes firmly entrenched as the best quarterback in the NFL and head coach Andy Reid at the helm, it's hard to see Kansas City becoming irrelevant in the foreseeable future.

General manager Brett Veach also deserves credit for finding ways to replace key contributors and consistently infuse the roster with playmakers. While the Jags have improved considerably over the last two years, they showed last season that they weren't ready to challenge the Chiefs. They'll have another chance in 2023, this time in Jacksonville.

Even though it's easy to pick Kansas City to win this one, the Jags should be extremely motivated to show they belong among the top teams in the league after losing their two matchups against the Chiefs last year. Win

Week 3 vs. Houston: Of all the Jaguars' division foes, the Texans could give them the most trouble in the 2023 season. After three tries over the last three years, it seems like they finally got the head-coach position right when they hired DeMeco Ryans. Moreover, general manager Nick Caserio did a great job of adding talent in both free agency and the draft.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans is the kind of no-nonsense coach that will squeeze the most out of his players and will keep them motivated even if things aren't going great. Also, C.J. Stroud will be a huge upgrade at quarterback. Like any other rookie, the former Ohio State product will have his fair share of up and downs but he should bring stability at the position for years to come.

Having said that, he will come up short against the Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. He won't give up without a fight but he'll leave Jacksonville with a loss. Win

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 4 and 5

Week 4 vs. Falcons: For their yearly trip to London, the Jaguars will play an Atlanta Falcons that telegraphed their intentions to run the ball and wear down other teams when they drafted Bijan Robinson eighth overall a few weeks ago. Although running backs no longer have the impact they had 30 years ago, they still have plenty of value in today's game. Having said that, Robinson is a special talent, and Atlanta couldn't pass up the chance to take the best player available when they were on the clock.

Robinson will be the focal point of the Falcons' offense and if he becomes the game-changer he was at Texas, Desmond Ridder's job will become considerably easier. Speaking of Ridder, Atlanta's trust in him is still high, which is why they passed up the chance to address the quarterback position in the draft.

The Jaguars will try to stymie Robinson and put the game on Ridder's shoulders (arm?) If the strategy works, Jacksonville will have won the game but there's a surprise upset every year, and it feels like this matchup has the potential to go in Atlanta's favor. Loss

Week 5 @ Bills: Because one game across the pond isn't enough, the Jaguars will be playing in London in back-to-back weeks. For their second bout, they'll face off against the Buffalo Bills. This will be a bout between AFC heavyweights, and it's hard to pick a winner right now but it's easy to lean toward the Jaguars.

Last season, the Bills might have leaned too much on Josh Allen to win games. They didn't run the ball as much as they should have and didn't make as many upgrades to their defense as they should have. The silver lining is that it kind of gave Buffalo a wake-up call.

General manager Brandon Beane got to work and drafted tight end Dalton Kincaid and offensive guard O'Cyrus Torrence in the first two rounds of the draft. Moreover, they managed to retain safety Jordan Poyer. Then again, the Jaguars have also added reinforcements. Although they lost right tackle Jawaan Taylor and defensive end Arden Key in free agency, they were able to bring back Andrew Wingard and tight end Evan Engram.

The Jaguars also added depth to most position groups in the draft and without a glaring weakness on the roster, they should hand the Bills a loss. This time though, they won't shut down their offense like they did in 2021 and will instead light up the scoreboard. Win

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 6 and 7

Week 6 vs. Indianapolis: There are three guarantees in life, death, taxes, and the Jaguars beating Indy at home. Although Indy was one of the top teams in the league when Peyton Manning and later Andrew Luck were behind center, they've come crashing down in recent years and they haven't been able to find a long-term solution at quarterback despite the fact that they've been searching for years.

Maybe Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, ends up being the Colts' franchise quarterback but he might need time before he's ready to rock the NFL. Heck, he might not even play when he visits TIAA Bank Field. In fact, Gardner Minshew might be QB1 for Indianapolis when they travel to Jacksonville.

Although Minshew might feel inclined to show the Jaguars that they made a mistake when they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, the truth is that they couldn't pass up the chance to draft Trevor Lawrence, who's quickly becoming one of the top signal-callers in the league. Win

Week 7 @ New Orleans: This will be the Jaguars' first primetime game of the season and it will take place on Thursday Night Football. Derek Carr had success against the Jaguars early in his career but he's lost the last two games he's played against them. Back in 2019, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew connected with wide receiver Chris Conely twice for two touchdowns and handed the then-Oakland Raiders a loss at their last game ever at The Coliseum.

And last year, Trevor Lawrence mounted a furious comeback to overcome a 13-point deficit and lead the Jaguars to a 27-20 win.

Carr is no longer a member of the Raiders after being kicked to the curve last year. Regardless of the circumstances that led to his release, the former Fresno Bulldog now has a fresh start with the New Orleans Saints and he'll have something he never had in Las Vegas, a top-10 defense. This game could go one way or another but by virtue of having home-field advantage, the Saints will win this one and be 2-2 all-time against Jacksonville. Loss

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 8, 9 and 10

Week 8 @ Steelers: The Pittsburgh Steelers came out of the draft with a pretty good haul. First, they fortified the trenches with offensive tackle Broderick Jones at No. 14. They then landed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton in Round 2. The cherry on the top was tight end Darnell Washington, who slide due to injury concerns but could potentially give Pittsburgh a dynamic duo along with Pat Freiermuth.

Furthermore, head coach Mike Tomlin isn't going anywhere and should be determined to prove he should stay in place for 10 more years after talking heads doubted he would still be the head coach in 2023. But when it comes to the Steelers next season, Kenny Pickett might be the X-Factor. The signal-caller hasn't shown enough to make everyone think he's the long-term answer at quarterback, so 2023 will be about proving he's a franchise building block.

The Jags will travel to Acrisure Stadium in 2023 and although they will be welcome with a rowdy crowd, they'll beat Pickett and take another step towards relevance in the NFL. Win

Week 9: Bye, the Jaguars get the week off.

Week 10 vs. 49ers: Despite the fact that the San Francisco 49ers lack the kind of hardware the Kansas City Chiefs have collected over the last four years, they're without a doubt an upper-echelon team in the NFL. Propelled by a sturdy defense, the Niners seemed poised to reach the Super Bowl last year but they then lost all their healthy quarterbacks against the Philadelphia Eagles in a bout for the NFC Championship and returned home empty-handed.

Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer with the 49ers but Trey Lance may finally be healthy enough to start most of the season and showcase the potential that made him the third overall selection in the 2021 draft. If Lance isn't behind center when San Francisco faces the Jaguars, it will mean he either got hurt or Brock Purdy beat him for the starting job in training camp.

Regardless of who starts for the Niners when they visit The Field, they have the personnel to slow down the Jaguars' high-powered offense, so expect them to return to the Bay Area with a win. Loss

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 11 and 12

Week 11 vs. Titans: Divisional matchups are always tough and they can come to the wire even if one of the teams isn't doing particularly great at the moment the game takes place. The 2022 Titans are a clear example. Even though they were riding a six-game losing streak and were starting an inexperienced Josh Dobbs in the finale, they weren't going to simply surrender to the Jaguars. Instead, they showed up to play and came close to pulling off the offset.

For a moment, it looked like Tennessee had the Jags against the ropes but safety Rayshawn Jenkins was having none of it and forced a fumble that outside Josh Allen scooped to get Jacksonville on top. When the Jaguars travel to Nashville in 2023, they could be welcomed with the same kind of resistance. However, they won't need to rely on Jenkins to make a last-minute play to win this time around. Win

Week 12 @ Texans: While it's hard to see Houston competing for a playoff spot at this point of the year, they'll surely have hit their stride. In fact, C.J. Stroud could be a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors if the Texans are somewhat competitive in the second half of the season.

Due to all the upgrades the Texans made in the offseason, this won't be a guaranteed win for the Jaguars. Given that the game will be held at NRG Stadium, Houston will try to avoid being swept and will send the Jaguars home empty-handed. Loss

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 13 and 14

Week 13 vs. Bengals: For their second primetime game of the year, the Jags will get the Bengals on Monday Night Football, and they'll have the chance to erase a bad memory. You might have heard of the Murphy Law, which states something along the lines of, "If something can go wrong, it will".

That's certainly the way things played out for the Jaguars the last time they played the Cincinnati Bengals. Besides losing wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. and right guard A.J. Cann to season-ending injuries, then-"head coach" Urban Meyer decided to stay around instead of flying back to Jacksonville with the team. Meyer reportedly wanted to spend the weekend with his grandkids but a video of him dancing improperly with a young woman popped up on the internet.

Things got so bad that everyone forgot the Jags lost to Cincy. With Meyer no longer around, the Jaguars have become one of the hottest teams in the league and they should have a favorable shot at disposing of the Bengals at home.

Sure, Cincinnati has a talented quarterback in Joe Burrow but the Jaguars got theirs in Trevor Lawrence. They'll try to outdo each other in what will be dubbed "the battle of the former No. 1 overall picks", even if they won't actually face off on the football field. Win

Week 14 @ Browns: The Cleveland Browns could finally see their investment in quarterback Deshaun Watson pay off. In case you missed it, they traded three first-round selections in exchange for the former Clemson Tiger last offseason. While that seems like a price too steep to pay for a quarterback, it won't matter if the Browns have stability at the position for the next ten years.

Back when Watson was in the AFC South, he was the top quarterback in the division. It's true that Andrew Luck was still with the Colts but he was close to hanging up his cleats, even if nobody knew at the time. If Watson can play the way he did early in his tenure with the Texans, he could give lots of headaches to the Jaguars when they face the Browns.

Last season, the Browns were somewhat competitive without Watson. With him in the lineup, they have the potential to be a formidable foe for the Jags. Loss

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 15 and 16

Week 15 vs. Ravens: For their third and last primetime game of the year, the Jags will take on Baltimore on Monday Night Football. This will be a rematch of last year's upset. For most of the game, it looked like the Baltimore Ravens were going to come on top, but a relentless Jaguars team never gave up. Trevor Lawrence ended up engineering one of the many comebacks he led last season to help the Jaguars win 28-27.

Things won't be as easy this year though. Lamar Jackson finally has the contract he had been seeking for more than a year and is fully focused on football, he'll be highly motivated to beat the Jaguars. The fact that Baltimore added Odell Beckham Jr. to their wide receiver corps and has hired an offensive coordinator that actually dials pass plays in Todd Monken will make the Ravens difficult to beat. In fact, the Jags will fall short when they welcome to the Bank. Loss

Week 16 vs. Panthers: The Carolina Panthers were one of the worst-managed teams under head coach Matt Rhule, who seemingly had no idea of what he was doing and often contradicted himself. The Panther finally decided to cut ties with him last year and brought in Fran Reich to try to right the ship. In Carolina, Reich has a promising quarterback in Bryce Young, who should become the starter at some point of the year even though veteran Andy Dalton has been given the nod.

The Panthers are an ascending team but they're also entering a rebuild, so they'll mostly focus on identifying who'll be part of their long-term future and making sure Young develops and the rest of the roster. Maybe Carolina is better than expected in 2023 but it's hard to see them beat the Jaguars due to the discrepancy in talent. Win

Game-by-Game predictions for the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 schedule: Weeks 17 and 18

Week 17 @ Buccaneers: You have probably heard or read that AFC South is the worst division in the NFL right now. While it's hard to argue against it, the NFC South isn't faring much better. The New Orleans Saints got an upgrade at quarterback with Derek Carr and they already had a good defense last year so there's a chance they'll compete or be in the race for a playoff spot for most of the year.

On the other hand, the rest of the NFC South isn't in great shape. In particular, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have turned the page on the Tom Brady era and will tentatively go with Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 at quarterback. Make no mistake, Mayfield is a solid reclamation project and he could rebuild his stock in Tampa Bay. However, expecting him or former Gator Kyle Trask to play at a Brady-like level is unrealistic.

Sure, wide receiver corps Mike Evan, Chris Godwin, and Russell Gage are still on the team but they were on the roster last year and the Bucs managed to win just nine games last year. Add another win to the Jags. Win

Week 18 @ Titans: And for the season finale, the Jaguars get the Titans again. It feels like forever now but Tennessee used to be a tough team as recently as 2019, when they reached the AFC Championship. Led by running Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Titans played a brand of smash-mouth football that would wear opponents down.

However, Tennessee has failed to replenish their roster since then and both Henry and Tannehill are no longer the players they used to be. In fact, the Titans drafted Will Levis to be Tannehill's heir apparent and there's a chance he might be starting when they welcome the Jags at Nissan Stadium.

But whether Tannehill or Levis gets the starting nod, Tennessee simply doesn't have enough power to keep up with Jacksonville, so expect Trevor Lawrence to lead the Jaguars to a win. Win

And if you're keeping track, you'll see that we're expecting the Jags to go 11-6 next season. Let us konw what you think on the comment box below.