Doug Marrone Explains How Week 7 Schedule Change Could Help the Jaguars

The Jaguars are one of several teams who will have to endure a schedule change over the next few weeks, but head coach Doug Marrone sees it as a positive in some ways.

While most would expect NFL teams to view schedule changes five weeks through the season as a nuisance, the Jacksonville Jaguars are finding some positives in the logistical overhaul.

The Jaguars are one of several teams that have had upcoming weeks rescheduled by the league, a result of positive COVID-19 cases forcing the postponement of several games over the last two weeks. Instead of the Jaguars having their bye week in Week 7, the bye will now move to Week 8 and the Jaguars will instead travel to play the Los Angeles Chargers a week early.

Despite the shift in schedule, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone pointed out that the change could actually be a positive for his 1-4 team. For one, the bye week was already going to look different due to COVID-19 protocols to begin with.

“No, I think the key thing is that because we all have to be on-site to test daily, on a daily basis, I think that helps," Marrone said during a media conference on Monday. 

"Where sometimes those bye weeks, with the amount of time the players have to have off, [they] can go ahead and schedule things and plan trips or see family or whatever may happen. So, I think that plays in favor of you don’t have to worry about all that scheduling or re-scheduling of things you have to do." 

But aside from those protocols, Marrone sees on-field positives for the Jaguars. They have some injured players, such as kicker Josh Lambo, who may not recover in time for the Week 7 battle, but he sees the game being played before the bye week as a positive. 

Considering the immense trouble the Jaguars have had on the west coast, Marrone may have a point. Before last year's comeback victory over the Raiders, the Jaguars had lost eight consecutive games on the west coast, with several of those coming against the Chargers.

"I think for us, outside of really Josh Lambo being ready, which we thought he’d be ready for that game, I actually like it," Marrone said. I like [that] they moved it up and we’re going out to the West Coast and then we’re coming back from the West Coast and having a bye week. I think sometimes it’s tough when you come back from that West Coast to get your team back and ready for the following week. So, I’m trying to look at it as more of, ‘Hey listen, I think this helps us a little bit, except for the guys that we’ve got that are banged up.'"

All things considered, this is a positive outlook from Marrone. Nobody would have blamed him if he would have been frustrated about the change -- the Jaguars are 1-4, keep getting key players hurt and the season is spiraling, after all. 

But in the end, Marrone sees the change as a positive. It is unlikely many teams feel the same about their own schedule changes, but the Jaguars can at least take solace in the small aid their own change may provide.