FOLIO
Words By Carson Rich
The NFL draft has concluded, and the schedules are out, so now it is time to predict how the Jacksonville home team will fare this upcoming season.
Week 1: Indianapolis Colts (Away)
The Jaguars begin their journey on the road against a division rival. Their matchups last season brought great success for the Jags, as they were undefeated in two blowout wins. Rookie QB Anthony Richardson makes his debut in this game for the Colts, but Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence’s experience will shine during the opener.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 24-Colts 14
Week 2: Kansas City Chiefs (Home)
In the first home game of the season, the Jaguars face off against the defending Super Bowl champs. Their matchups last year ended with two heartbreaking losses, including one in the playoffs that ended their season. This may be a revenge game for Jacksonville, but Kansas City comes out with the win.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 17-Chiefs 28
Week 3: Houston Texans (Home)
Jacksonville welcomes yet another rookie QB — C.J. Stroud — and also a new head coach in this matchup. Both of these are large advantages for the amount of veterans stacked on the Jaguars defense. Coming off the tough loss to the Chiefs the week before should also provide the momentum they need to pull through before their trip to London.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 35-Texans 13
Week 4: Atlanta Falcons (London)
The Jaguars have back-to-back international games this year in London, which brings an entirely new atmosphere to play in. This will also be a long-awaited reunion for both fanbases, as WR Calvin Ridley looks to confront his former team after a year-long gambling suspension that caused him to be traded to Jacksonville. Both teams are pretty evenly matched, but Atlanta finishes strong in the last minutes.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 24-Falcons 27
Week 5: Buffalo Bills (London)
The Jaguars’ second game in London presents a dominant threat from the AFC. These two teams have not seen each other in two years, and both have made drastic improvements since then. Jacksonville has momentum coming into this, but QB Josh Allen and the Bills’ explosive offense will be enough to push them ahead.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 10-Bills 21
Week 6: Indianapolis Colts (Home)
The second meeting in the AFC South should look a little different, since Indianapolis has had some time to adapt to their new additions. The final score will be a bit tighter, but LB Josh Allen and the Jags Defense will prevail in the end.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 13-Colts 7
Week 7: New Orleans Saints (Away)
This week’s matchup brings the Jags back to the NFC South against the Saints, who have seemingly been going through a rebuild over the past few years. The addition of veteran QB Derek Carr will make a tough game for the Jags secondary under the Thursday night lights. It will be tight, but Jacksonville pulls it out late in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 14-Saints 10
Week 8: Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
The Steelers defense has built up a group that could be a real force this season, but Jacksonville will have an answer. The combination of RB Travis Etienne and WR Calvin Ridley should enforce some speed for the team to cruise by for their third win in a row, a week before the bye.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 21-Steelers 7
Week 9: Bye Week
Week 10: San Francisco 49ers (Home)
The refurbished 49ers are going to be intimidating for defenses around the NFL. The blockbuster trade that landed them superstar RB Christian McCaffrey and the elusiveness of LB Fred Warner will shake Jacksonville up on both sides of the ball. San Francisco blows through this game in a tough loss for the Jags.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 6-49ers 23
Week 11: Tennessee Titans (Home)
Tennessee’s unstable quarterback situation will come to light in this game, when QB Ryan Tannehill struggles against the fearsome Jaguars defensive line. Head Coach Mike Vrabel looks to be entering the team in a light rebuild these next couple of years, and it might show here.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 17-Titans 7
Week 12: Houston Texans (Away)
In back-to-back division rivalry games, Jacksonville looks to build some momentum coming into their Monday night game with this one. Just as it happened earlier this season, it will most likely happen again since Houston lacks greatly in the wide receiver department and their defense needs improvement.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 21-Texans 3
Week 13: Cincinnati Bengals (Home)
Jacksonville’s second primetime game of the season presents a matchup of two major offensive forces in the league. Both wide receiver cores should shine in this one, and it will end up being a shootout after halftime. Cincinnati pulls away at the end but not without a fight.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 28-Bengals 35
Week 14: Cleveland Browns (Away)
Cleveland has one of the best running backs in Nick Chubb and one of the best edge-rushers in Myles Garrett. This poses a problem for Jacksonville, as both their rush defense and their offensive line could use some work. QB Deshaun Watson’s controversy from last year will have settled down by this time, giving him enough to push them through in a tough road game for the Jaguars.
Prediction: L
Jaguars 7-Browns 17
Week 15: Baltimore Ravens (Home)
Facing former MVP QB Lamar Jackson after two straight losses is going to be a challenge for Jacksonville but not an impossibility. RB Travis Etienne should have a great game against Baltimore, and as long as their defense can contain Lamar Jackson, they should be in great shape to come out with a victory.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 14-Ravens 13
Week 16: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Away)
After having some time to get used to the absence of former QB Tom Brady, this Tampa Bay offense should be fired up for this in-state matchup. Just hours away from Jacksonville, the fans in attendance should be pretty neutral, working in the Jaguars favor. In the end, Trevor Lawrence has a field day on the Bucs.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 27-Buccaneers 13
Week 17: Carolina Panthers (Home)
In the penultimate round of the season, Carolina is still trying to workout some of the flaws in their game. After losing WR D.J. Moore, nobody stands out as a leader just yet, and rookie QB Bryce Young will have to prove to everyone that he has what it takes. I do not think it will happen this season, though, as the Jags take the win on their way to the final game.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 20-Panthers 7
Week 18: Tennessee Titans (Away)
The closer to the 2023 regular season ends well for Jacksonville, as the second game between the two shouldn’t be too different from the first. RB Derrick Henry remains a threat to their defense, but the Titans’ quarterback weaknesses are still prominent. The Jaguars finish off strong, likely heading into the playoffs.
Prediction: W
Jaguars 24-Texans 14
Overall record: 11-6
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