The Jacksonville Jaguars' schedule for the 2024 season was officially revealed Wednesday, giving teams, fans, media and other observers a full rundown of what's to come this fall.
Jacksonville will head back to London this year, playing in back-to-back games for a second straight year. The team fared well last time, defeating the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills before returning him to the States.
This year, they'll take on the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. Instead of playing the team's first game as the designated "home" opponent, the Jaguars will play the role of adversary, entering Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 13. The following week, Jacksonville will take on the Patriots as the "home" team in their home away from home at Wembley Stadium.
FULL JAGUARS 2024 SCHEDULE:Jacksonville Jaguars to open with road trip vs. Miami Dolphins
Jacksonville will have just two prime-time games this year. Both games are on the road, including a Monday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3 and a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9 on the road. They'll play a total of four standalone games, which include the team's London series.
Last year, the Jaguars finished the season 9-8, falling one game short of the AFC South title and missing the playoffs. They entered the year with the 23rd-ranked strength of schedule (SOS) at .479. After a 9-8, AFC South title season in 2022, we predicted the team to win 12 games based on their past success, the perceived strength of the AFC South at the time and the perceived strength of the team's schedule as a whole.
This year, Jacksonville's schedule is much tougher on paper at .512, ranking eighth overall in the league. For reference, the Cleveland Browns enter this year with the toughest schedule on paper with an SOS of .547, while the Atlanta Falcons have the easiest schedule at .453.
During the preseason, the Jaguars will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs (Week 1, Aug. 10 at 7:00 p.m.), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 2, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m.) and the Atlanta Falcons (Week 3, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.). They'll play the Chiefs and Buccaneers at home, taking on the Falcons on the road.
With that out of the way, let's take a look by going game-b-game to predict what is likely to come for the Jaguars this season.
Week 1: Jaguars at Miami Dolphins
Prediction: Dolphins 28, Jaguars 24
Thoughts: The Jaguars begin their season with a tough matchup on the road against one of the most explosive offenses in the league. This will be an early test for new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, and that doesn’t fare well for the good guys.
The Jaguars’ offense should be better this year, and Miami’s defense should have some regression. Still, it’s safer to go with the team that has the more established offense.
Record: 0-1
Week 2: Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns
Prediction: Jaguars 17, Browns 14
Thoughts: The Jaguars lost more than the Browns won last year against them in Cleveland. This year, Jacksonville gets to face off against them at home with much better firepower on both sides of the football. The Browns boast a stifling defense, so it could be a low-scoring affair, but trust in Cleveland’s offense ends at the quarterback position.
Record: 1-1
Week 3: Jaguars at Buffalo Bills (Monday Night Football)
Prediction: Jaguars 28, Bills 20
Thoughts: The Jaguars were in London last year and beat the Bills after just defeating the Falcons there a week prior. The Buffalo team Jacksonville saw last year in Week 5 is not the same as the one they’ll see this year in Week 3, however.
The Bills will be without Stefon Diggs after trading him away to Houston, and Jacksonville should be a better team after this offseason, adding playmakers such as former Bills wideout Gabe Davis to the roster. Until Buffalo beats the Jaguars, it’s tough to predict it.
Record: 2-1
Week 4: Jaguars at Houston Texans
Prediction: Texans 24, Jaguars 20
Thoughts: This will be a circle game on the calendar for both teams. While the Texans went on to win the division, they lost to the Jaguars in Week 12, putting their hopes in jeopardy. In Jacksonville’s first divisional matchup, they fall on the road, hoping to get revenge later in the season.
Record: 2-2
Week 5: Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts
Prediction: Jaguars 28, Colts 20
Thoughts: The Jaguars are simply the better team right now. After sweeping the Colts last year, Jacksonville continues the trend until proven otherwise. Anthony Richardson may be coming back, but he’s essentially a rookie still after missing most of last year with various injuries, including a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery.
Record: 3-2
Week 6: Jaguars at Chicago Bears (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
Prediction: Jaguars 30, Bears 17
Thoughts: Caleb Williams is going to be a great quarterback in this league. I highly doubt that by Week 6 he’s going to have proven that. By Week 6, the Jaguars will also have enough tape of him and Chicago’s offense to counter it. Must go with the more experienced squad in this one, especially in London.
Record: 4-2
Week 7: Jaguars vs. New England Patriots (Wembley Stadium)
Prediction: Jaguars 28, Patriots 3
Thoughts: If the Jaguars are going to lose in London, it’ll be the week before this game against the Bears. Against the Patriots, the Jaguars should cruise to victory, especially with the roster New England showcases with a rookie QB in tow.
Record: 5-2
Week 8: Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers
Prediction: Packers 30, Jaguars 21
Thoughts: Green Bay proved down the stretch last year that they’re one of the top teams in the league. They trounced the Cowboys in Round 1 before narrowly losing to the eventual NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. This team is on a meteoric rise and the Jaguars haven’t proven to be that just yet.
Record: 5-3
Week 9: Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday Night Football)
Prediction: Eagles 28, Jaguars 17
Thoughts: Perhaps the Eagles aren’t a touchdown better than Jacksonville, but their talent feels that way. Last year, the Eagles suffered a similar demise to Jacksonville by losing too many games down the stretch, costing them a divisional title and earning a first-round exit in the playoffs. This late in the season, It's impossible to know how these two teams will fare but we will go with the likely favorites this time around.
Record: 5-4
Week 10: Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings
Prediction: Jaguars 20, Vikings 17
Thoughts: This game being at home bodes well for Jacksonville with outdoor elements. The Vikings are undergoing a re-tooling of their roster with rookie QB J.J. McCarthy set to be the quarterback of the future. Jacksonville has the advantage here even though Justin Jefferson will be the best player in EverBank Stadium that day.
Record: 6-4
Week 11: Jaguars at Detroit Lions
Prediction: Lions 28, Jaguars 20
Thoughts: This could be the turning point of the season for Jacksonville. It’s tough to see the Lions falling, though, because of where their team is at compared to Jacksonville. Goff is paid, the offense is humming and the defense just got restocked with all the fixings.
Record: 6-5
Week 12: BYE
Week 13: Jaguars vs. Houston Texans
Prediction: Jaguars 27, Texans 17
Thoughts: I take it back; this game will be the turning point of the season for the Jaguars. After losing to the Texans early in the year, the Jaguars get revenge at home and potentially will be looking at securing the AFC South title over the next few weeks.
Record: 7-5
Week 14: Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
Prediction: Jaguars 28, Titans 10
Thoughts: Week 18 last year was a fluke. Not in the sense that the Jaguars should have won the game, but more so that the team that showed up that day was unlike the team that showed up weeks back when these two teams faced off the first time.
The Jaguars’ defense was completely outmatched and outplayed on an effort and skill level. That won’t happen again. Also, Trevor Lawrence was hurt.
Record: 8-5
Week 15: Jaguars vs. New York Jets
Prediction: Jets 28, Jaguars 10
Thoughts: After getting hyped up to beat down the Titans the previous week, the Jets come into town highly motivated after a lost season due to Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles injury. If Rodgers is healthy, the Jets have a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl title, let alone a win in Week 15 against the Jaguars.
Record: 8-6
Week 16: Jaguars at Las Vegas Raiders
Prediction: Jaguars 35, Raiders, 10
Thoughts: Who doesn’t like Christmas in Vegas? Okay, even if that’s not the case, the Jaguars will have plenty of motivation with the AFC South title on the line from this week onward. Given that, and the fact that either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell will be quarterbacking this team, let’s go with the Jags.
Record: 9-6
Week 17: Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Titans 7
Thoughts: As you can see, I don’t think too highly of the Titans. They did well in improving their pass-catching room by adding Calvin Ridley and did well in signing cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. It’s not enough.
Record: 10-6
Week 18: Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Colts 20
Thoughts: This could go either way. I don’t have a strong feeling about late-season Jaguars as they’ve shown both sides of the coin. Still, if the team is rolling at this point as I’ve predicted, it feels likely they’ll go ahead and wrap up the season with a win. Will 11 wins be enough to take the South?
Record: 11-6
Demetrius Harvey isthe Jacksonville Jaguars reporterfor the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter,at@Demetrius82.
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