Jaguars get 2 primetime games and more takeaways from 2024 schedule release

The 2024 NFL schedule is set. After weeks of anticipation, the league has at least revealed the time and place for every game next season. The Jacksonville Jaguars had known their opponents for a while but didn't know when and where they would face them. Now they do.

Surprisingly, there weren't many leaks regarding the Jags ahead of the schedule. There was a rumor making the rounds on social media that they were going to face the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. It ultimately wasn't true. On the other hand, they did get two primetime games and none of them were on Thursday.

So which things stood out in the Jaguars' schedule for the 2024 season? These three things come to mind.

The Jaguars will get to show early on how much they've improved in 2024

The Jaguars faced the Cleveland Browns late in 2023. They lost to them and will play them again in Week 2. Not only that, Jacksonville also got the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans, and the Indianapolis Colts in the first five weeks.

All those teams either made the playoffs last year or were in the thick of the race. Working in the Jaguars' favor is that they made several upgrades on both sides of the ball in the offseason. This will be a great time to show early in the season if they've recovered from their late 2023 collapse.

The Jaguars got 2 primetime games despite finishing 2023 in a funk

Surprisingly, the Jaguars won't play on Thursday Night next season. This is the first time since 2010 that they didn't get such game since 2010. On the bright side, they face the Bills on Monday Night and the Eagles on Sunday Night. Both matchups are intriguing for different reasons.

Buffalo has been one of the top teams in the AFC the last few years but they've gone 0-2 against the Jags since 2021. On the other hand, Philly was head coach Doug Pederson's former team. The Jaguars went against them in 2022 but lost in what was a rainy game.

Last year, the Jaguars beat the Saints on Thursday Night Football but lost to the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens on Monday and Sunday Night, respectively. But even though the Jags were 2-1 in primetime games, the league thought they still deserved to get a couple in 2024. That goes on to show that Jacksonville is making progress and is gaining notoriety across the NFL.

Can the Jaguars take advantage of their late-season BYE in 2024?

For the third straight year, the Jaguars got their BYE late in the season at the request of head coach Doug Pederson. They could've easily asked for it after their two-game stretch in London but they instead got it in Week 12.

Last year, it looked like they were going to start a playoff run after their BYE but they went 3-6 and were eliminated from playoff contention. On the other hand, they took advantage of it in 2022, going 6-7 after their week off. Based on how things will play out, they won't waste the opportunity to rest late in the season and will use that time to heal, adjust, and regroup.

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