4 Jaguars Schedule Factors That Will Actually Matter (and 2 That Won't)

Which factors of the Jacksonville Jaguars' schedule matter the most, and which are being overblown?

Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen smiles to the crowd as he walks of the field against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to play a fascinating schedule in 2026, filled with primetime games, big matchups, and two trips to London.

But with the Jaguars' schedule now officially released, there are some big questions to ask. Ones that do not have to do with Trevor Lawrence's hair, even.

So, what are the most important factors about the Jaguars' schedule that will determine their success? And on the flip side, what are the seemingly overblown aspects of their slate? We break it down below.

What Really Matters

The Denver Game

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) reacts after making a touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Jaguars deserve credit for knocking off the Denver Broncos at home last season. The Broncos were red-hot at the time and it is hard to win at Mile High Stadium in any scenario, but especially so against a Super Bowl-winning head coach and one of the AFC's best rosters. The Jaguars will have to prove that same mettle on the road in Denver this year, with the key difference being that this game will be in Week 2 instead of the final month of the season.

Denver has long had a history of being tough to play at year-long, but especially so in September and October. They have had a mixed bag of results in September home games in the 2020s due to several quarterback issues, but most solid Broncos teams win home games in the first month of the season at a stunning rate.

The Jaguars have certainly overcame the odds and history before under Liam Coen, so it would not be surprising to see the Jaguars be the next team to overcome Denver's early home magic. It is still a factor worth noting ahead of one of the biggest games on the schedule, though.

The First 6 Weeks

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans shake hands after the game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The Jaguars open the season with maybe one of the toughest stretches of any team in the league. The Jaguars' first six games will see them host the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots in Jacksonville, go on the road to Denver and Cincinnati, and then play host to the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans on neutral fields in London.

The six opponents on during this span consists of four playoff teams, all of which won double-digit games last season, and three divisional winners. The Browns and Bengals are the only teams who did not have winning records, but the Bengals delivered the Jaguars one of their only losses last season. The combined record of these teams was 62-40, giving them a winning percantage similar to that of a 10-7 team.

Jacksonville had a similarly tough stretch last season, playing the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawls, and Los Angeles Rams in the month before their bye week. They came out of that 2-2, and going .500 against would not be so bad considering the weakness of the Jaguars' second-half schedule.

The October-November Road Trips

Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen reacts from the sidelines during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

After the Jaguars host two home games in the first three weeks of the season, they are going to spend quite a bit of time away from EverBank Stadium. We already knew this was the case when the Jaguars announced back-to-back home games in London, giving the Jaguars just six games in Jacksonville this year as opposed to 11 games outside of it.

Most of the Jaguars' road trips will be in October and November; the Jaguars do not play a single game in Jacksonville in entire month of October. They host the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 1 and the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 29, giving them just two games in Jacksonville in those nine weeks. The Jaguars managed to overcome a tough road schedule last year, but this time it is not just the opponents who will be difficult -- it will be the timing of the schedule itself.

The Primetime Respect

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) yells as his is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After having just two primetime games combined in the previous two seasons, the Jaguars were given a fair amount of respect in primetime this year. The Jaguars were given three primetime games, just the third time the franchise has been given that many in a season since 2010. This has happened just six times in the entire history of the franchise,

After a year in which the Jaguars proved they are one of the NFL's true ascending teams, it appears the NFL has bought into their trajectory. They were given three primetime games in 2023, too, after they made the playoffs the previous year, but they went 1-2 and squandered the opportunity with poor performances. The Jaguars can change that this time around.

What Doesn't

The Bye Week Placement

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli and general manager James Gladstone look on after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

While most teams likely favor having bye weeks later in the season, it is hard to say the Jaguars are going to be all that impacted by where their bye week placement is. The Jaguars will get their bye week after their Londton trips, as expected, which means they will get their bye week one week earlier than they did last season.

Post-bye is when the Jaguars really got onto a roll last season, and they managed to do this even without the No. 2 pick on the field. The Jaguars proved last year that they can put together impressive winning streaks with a bye week that is closer to the early-middle point of the season, which means there should be no conrern about the Jaguars' bye week placement this time around.

QB Timing

Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) meet after the game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Jaguars play a few teams this year with quarterback questions: the Cleveland Browns could start any number of options, none of which seems all that appealing. The Denver Broncos have their QB1 in Bo Nix, but his recovery from his ankle injury is worth watching. The Indianapolis Colts are in a similar situation with Daniel Jones, while the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 might not even have their starter on the roster.

With that said, the timing of each matchup matters much less than what the Jaguars themselves do. The Jaguars lost two of their four regular-season games to backup quarterbacks last season, so it would do everyone some good to throw that out of the equation perhaps entirely when it comes to evaluationg matchups.