The Jacksonville Jaguars just announced their 17-game schedule for the 2023 season and there are many things to like besides its announcement on social media. For starters, they won't be relegated to their yearly Thursday Night Football appearance and will instead play in three primetime games.
Also, the Jags will be the first team in league history to play to games in London in back-to-back weeks. They'll take on the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium in Week 4 and will face off against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5.
All things considered, it was only right that Jacksonville got the spotlight more often after such a strong finish to the 2022 season. With that in mind, here are takeaways from this year's schedule release.
3. The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have a rough stretch on the 2023 schedule
No team is going to be fully pleased with their schedule but the Jaguars probably liked the hand they were dealt. They have a healthy mix of home and away games and they won't play as visitors for more than two weeks in a row. Also, Jacksonville got their Bye in Week 9, the middle point of the season.
While there's a chance they'll go 6-2 in the first eight games, they could readjust and regroup in Week 9 if things aren't going as well as they would like. Also, having their Bye not too early in the season allows the Jaguars to prepare for a slate of games that could play a huge role in making the playoffs.
2. Getting two games in London isn't a bad thing for the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars had been playing a home game in London every year since 2013 -- 2020 was the exception due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- but they'll play twice accross the pond twice this season. The good news is that the second bout will be as visitors, since the Buffalo Bills will be the home team.
You have probably heard talks about the Jags potentially relocating to Europe but however you break out, it wouldn't be feasible. The bottom line is that they're going nowhere, although they'll most likely keep playing in London even after their current agreement expires in 2024.
Giving away a home game every year doesn't look great on paper but the truth is that it's allowed the Jags to grow their fanbase and earn more recognition around the globe. It's true that flying to London is taxing due to the difference in time zone but staying for two weeks will give the Jaguars the opportunity to get acclimated, which could end up giving them the edge against the Bills.
Now, playing in London isn't a guaranteed win for Jacksonville. Just last season, they lost to a pretty bad Denver Broncos team and they beat the Miami Dolphins the year before on a last-minute field goal by kicker Matthew Wright.
Another thing to keep in mind is that even though the Jags will play a couple of games in London, they'll do so at two different venues, Wembley Stadium, and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so they won't get a slight home-field advantage. Either way, it will be interesting how the Jaguars handle this slate of games.
1. The Jacksonville Jaguars deserve to get 3 primetime games
The Jaguars had gotten a Thursday Night Football slot the five years but playing on Thursday isn't as appealing as Sunday or Monday. On top of that, players aren't fond of the short week that comes with suiting up for Thursday.
However, it was hard to justify giving the Jaguars national exposure when you take into account that they weren't very good. Would you imagine giving Jacksonville top billing when they went 1-15 in 2020? Moreover, they didn't have many players with a high profile. Back in 2017, when they made the AFC Championship, their starts were mostly on the offensive side of the ball and fans mostly knew quarterback Blake Bortles because he was good at putting up solid Fantasy Football numbers.
That's no longer the case though, the Jaguars are one of the hottest teams and they have a star-sudden cast, led by Trevor Lawrence, who's quickly becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the league. But the former Clemson Tiger isn't the only player with a personality on the roster.
When the Jaguars play in primetime, a national audience will get to know plucky safety Andrew Wingard, the man behind the phrase, "It was always the Jags". Fellow safety Andre Cisco also deserves the spotlight. The same is Tyson Campbell, one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the league.
This season, the Jaguars will have a chance to prove they're one of the top teams in the league and what better way to do it than beating the New Orleans Saints (Week 7), the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 13) and the Baltimore Ravens (Week 15) in a primetime.