The Athletic: Jaguars-Texans Rematch is Jacksonville's 'Must-Watch' Game of 2024

Which game on the 2024 schedule has the most intrigue according to The Athletic.

Jan 7, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls the play to the huddle against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on a comeback tour in 2024.

Looking to bounce back from the worst collapse in the 2023 NFL season, the Jaguars are set to take on a tough slate of opponents in their hopes for making it back to the playoffs.

But which one of the Jaguars' 17 games is one that can be considered "must-watch"? There are more than a handful of options, which primetime games vs. the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles and a host of games against 2023 playoff teams.

But according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the Jaguars' biggest game of the year will come in the first month of the season when the Jaguars travel to Houston in Week 4.

The Jaguars’ schedule is a doozy, so there’s plenty to pick from, but the first matchup between the last two AFC South champs could set the tone for the division. This time last year, Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were in the Texans’ shoes. Now, they’ve got to wrangle back the division from Stroud and a team that yielded one of the best stories in the league in 2023. The Jags will be coming off a brutal opening stretch at the Dolphins, home for the Browns and then at the Bills for “Monday Night Football.” Worst case, they’re 0-3 and fighting like mad to keep pace in the division. Best case, they’ve got a couple of wins and will be trying to send a message to the Texans.

- Jeff Howe, The Athletic

The Jaguars' last divisional win of 2023 came in Week 12 at Houston, though Houston was able to defeat the Jaguars 37-17 at Jacksonville in Week 3. After the Jaguars' win in Houston, the Jaguars went 1-5 and missed the playoffs despite their 8-3 start after the Texans game.

“Yeah, as a coach, you’re hopeful that’s the motivation. The way we finished the last month and a half is not our standard and it’s not what we talk about. It goes against everything we talk about, really," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said in March.

"We still had opportunities all the way to the 18th week of the regular season. We’re there at the end, we just got to figure out a way to push through that envelope and be there and credit to Houston, they battled their tails off all year. They were much like us a year ago in ’22. We had to battle our tails off to get to where we got to. A credit to DeMeco [Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans] and his staff and those players in Houston for winning the division the way they did.”