Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule Predictions: Part One
JT: You can take these to The Bank (pun intended)
Now please understand that as I type this the Jags brass, T. Balk and Pug, are still slimming their roster to the requisite 53 players. This being the case, I do not know for sure who will be rostered and who will not when the Jaguars face the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday Sept. 10. Not that it matters at all when making the following schedule predictions, I just like to get my excuses out of the way early. You know, just in case. With that necessary business behind us how about we take a look at how the Jaguars 2023 season is going to pan out.
Week 1: @ Colts - The line as of this very second is Jags -4.5. I personally see a repeat of the first Indy game from 2022. I don’t know if Jacksonville will shut them out in their own stadium, but Trevor and the boys will certainly cover that spread by a landslide. If I had any stones I would earn my kids college tuition on this first game, but alas I’m a chicken. Tempting as it may be, I want to see what Anthony Richardson is bringing in the NFL. I watched the kid at UF and when he is on, he is lights out. I’m not saying if Richardson plays at his best that the Colts will win, but a combo of Richardson on his game and Trevor having a game like, say, his San Diego Chargers first half, means that Indy might cover that spread. Then my little girl would have to drop out of school. Jaguars 35 - Indy 17
Week 2: vs Chiefs - This is a much more difficult game to decipher. You see I’m not the only impartially partial fan in Jacksonville that truly believes had Jamal Agnew caught that pass in the playoff contest at Arrowhead, the Jaguars would have gone on to beat the Chiefs last year. It was theirs for the taking and they crapped the bed. The question today is will that same level of play that the Jags displayed last season carry over to an early season victory against KC at The Bank? My heart wants to believe it can. The Jaguars have improved tremendously since last season. Especially offensively, with the additions of Brenton Strange and Calvin Ridley. It’s too soon to say whether Anton Harrison is an upgrade from Cam PED Robinson but he hasn’t been a let down yet. Jacksonville’s starting defense won’t be adding too many fresh new faces. With a year under their belt, the maturation of Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, coupled with a much better game plan and execution by defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, should prove more difficult for Patrick Mahomes. If not Mahomes, I guarantee Blaine Gabbert ain’t going 90+ yards for a score against this JAX D. While it will be sad to see Jawaan Taylor in red, I don’t think he will be enough to save the Chiefs from defeat at EverBank. Jaguars 38 - Chiefs 31
Week 3: vs Texans - Houston comes to town in week three. Yet another rookie QB faces off against Mike Caldwell’s defense. C.J. Stroud was more highly touted coming out of college than was Florida’s AR-15, but Stroud struggled a bit in the pre-season. He threw for 89 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The number two overall draft pick, after Bryce Young, has the ability to be a very good NFL quarterback, but like Anthony Richardson, I think it’s a few years in the making before we in Jacksonville have to worry about his coming out party. Bottom line is that if the Jaguars play their game, only a few teams in the NFL will be able to beat them this year. That said, if the Jaguars play half their game, Houston should still lose. The only things that worry me about Houston are John Metchie (a sincere and warm welcome back to the NFL after a year of fighting leukemia), Xavier Hutchinson, and Tank Dell. All three of these guys are rookies (basically) and all three of them are serious receiving threats…and they aren’t even Houston starters. Nico Collins, Robert Woods, and Noah Brown will be on the field for the first snap. Once C.J. Stroud gets up to the level of his premium pass catchers, Houston, not the Titans, will be the Jaguars main competition in the AFC South. Also, Will Anderson Jr. keeps me up at night. Here’s to hoping Anton Harrison’s shoulder is fully healed by the time Alabama’s first rounder comes to town. Jaguars 31 - Houston 21
Week 4: vs Falcons (London) - The Dirty Birds cross the pond to play a Jaguars home game in Wembley Stadium. Jacksonville’s home away from home welcomes Atlanta and their high powered nothingness. Is that mean? I guess they do have the underperforming Kyle Pitts. A tight end from the University of Florida who was drafted incredibly high, but has yet to live up to the expectations of those drafted many rounds after him. Falcons owner, Arthur Blank was quoted as saying that he sees a “more competitive” team in 2023. I think by process of elimination he couldn’t possibly see a less competitive one. Desmond Ridder is their starting quarterback and when “Fantasy NFL” is asking the question, “Mayfield or Ridder: Which QB will have a better fantasy season?” you know your team isn’t gonna win any blue ribbons this year. It’s a participation trophy, at best, for the Atlanta Falcons in 2023. Running back Bijon Robinson and ex-Jaguars DE, Calais Campbell, can do a lot of things, but carry the Falcons to a victory over JAX is not one of them. Jaguars 45 - Atlanta 24
Week 5: @Bills (London) - I don’t think the NFL could have picked a better away game to turn into a Jaguars home away from home game. Instead of traveling to Buffalo to face the extremely talented and very difficult to beat Bills, Jacksonville gets to play them in London where they have the home field advantage. Wembley is a JAX friendly crowd even though it’s technically a Bills home game. Jacksonville is going to need all the help they can get when they face off against Josh Allen, Stefan Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Dawson Knox. One saving grace is that Bills LB Von Miller is missing the first four games of the season on the PUP list. Now, I know this game falls in week five which means one of two things; Miller will return and be a little rusty against the Jags or Miller will not return because he isn’t fully healed. Either way, JAX benefits from Millers injury in addition to a friendly crowd. Here is where I run into a prediction conundrum. Jacksonville has to lose at some point. I think this is as good a point as any. Week five may bring some injuries. Players may be getting a little tired, bruised, and battered. Being in London for a few weeks in a row could have some guys feeling home sick and missing their families as well. Couple all of that with the fact that the Bills are a top five team in the NFL and this might be a recipe for Jacksonville’s first loss of the season. As my favorite four friends that compete to humiliate each other on the NY based hidden camera show, Impractical Jokers, are fond of saying…WELLLLLLLL. The Jaguars are also a top five team this year and frankly I think the friendly confines of Wembley stadium along with the fact that they will have been there for over a week and already acclimated to the time change, tips the tide and turns the table in their favor. I smell a close one in London. Jaguars 24 - Bills 21
Week 6: vs Colts - Indy at home in The Bank. This is the ultimate sleeper game. The Jags will be riding high with victories over the Bills and Chiefs including a victorious two week trek across the pond. This 1pm game is the perfect time for a break-out performance by the Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson and a sleepy performance by Dougie P’s Jags. Knowing this, Jacksonville falls into a funk and loses in front of a sold out stadium to Indianapolis in a stunner. The Colts will walk away from the First Coast with a dubya, Jaguars 28 - Colts 38
Week 7: @ Saints - A Prime Video streamed Thursday night contest in the Superdome is just the place for Jacksonville to snap out of their one game funk. But it won’t happen. Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and the no longer suspended Alvin Kamara will prove to be too much for JAX DC Mike Caldwell. With or without TE Jimmy Graham, the Saints rejuvenated offense (with Derek Carr), at home, will put up just enough points to squeak past T-Law’s potent offense. Essentially, the main issue for JAX will be the constant pestering by rookie DT Bryan Bresee. He has dominated the preseason with tremendous penetration and also the man the Jaguars had a chance to draft but passed. The 305 lb. beast out of Clemson will remind the 6’6” pigskin pitch man out of Clemson, why it was a mistake to skip him in the latest draft. I see at least two sacks for Bresee in this game and a victory for New Orleans. Jaguars 17 - Saints 24
Week 8: @ Steelers - This is where the bleeding stops. Last year the Jaguars acted as though they were on blood thinners and Tyler Shatley’d their way through the middle of the 2022 NFL season. Once the wound was opened they couldn’t seem to close it. Thus, five losses in a row. Well, this year the blood letting stops at two. Kenny Pickett, even with a year under his belt, does not have enough fire power to outscore Jacksonville’s offense, which by this point of the NFL season will be considered one of the most high powered in the entire league. Even T.J Watt will have trouble getting to Trevor. Oh, I’m well aware of Pat McAfee’s $500,000 bet to Watt’s charity of choice if T.J. breaks the all time single season sack record of 22.5 this year. This incentive will get Watt one sack of Trevor in this game, but that is all it will do. The Jags take the Steelers behind the woodshed, breaking out of their rut in dominant fashion and heading into the bye week on a high note riding a 6-2 record. Jaguars 38 - Steelers 13
We will pause here for a regularly scheduled commercial break, because frankly, I’m tired of typing and the bye week provides me with a natural stopping point. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.