Identifying the Jaguars' toughest stretch in the 2023 NFL schedule
Let's go! The Jacksonville Jaguars' schedule for the 2023 NFL regular season is finally official and it's a fun one. Especially considering the bar is set higher for the Jags as they head into the season as the clear-cut favorites to win the AFC South and defend their title. But although it sounds like a […]
Let's go! The Jacksonville Jaguars' schedule for the 2023 NFL regular season is finally official and it's a fun one. Especially considering the bar is set higher for the Jags as they head into the season as the clear-cut favorites to win the AFC South and defend their title.
But although it sounds like a cliché, you know it's true: The NFL won't make it easy on you.
That much is made clear when you go over the Jaguars' schedule looking for the toughest stretch of the season. Even a bad three-week period can be enough to derail the season
If we pull up the schedule and try to identify what the toughest three-game stretch is for the 2023 Jaguars, it's pretty easy to get a clear answer.
Between weeks 13-14, December football will be a tough challenge for Jacksonville. They get the Cincinnati Bengals at home, then travel to face the Cleveland Browns, and come back home to face the Baltimore Ravens.
Those are good teams out of the AFC North that are widely known for being physical squads. But not only is their smash-mouth mentality that could complicate things but they have the firepower at quarterback.
That's Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, and Lamar Jackson in three consecutive weeks. Considering how late in the year they're scheduled for, the results of that stretch will give us an idea of how the Jaguars will do against playoff-caliber opponents.
Especially so for a passing defense that struggled significantly last season as it finished 30th in the league per Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics.
It's truly a make-or-break three-week gauntlet that we can't wait to watch.
The good news for the Jaguars is that from Week 9 onward, they have the 13th easiest schedule in the NFL based on projected win totals from the betting markets via data from Warren Sharp.
