The Jacksonville Jaguars’ schedule is officially set and as of Thursday, fans now know the order of their opponents.
The Jags’ strength of schedule only ranks 22nd, so things could be much worse although they are a really young team that’s not predicted to win many games. The strength of schedule also doesn’t mean that there aren’t rough patches in it.
All of that said, here is a preview of the Jags’ five toughest games:
5. Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars (Nov. 22)
This is a rivalry game that goes way back to the glory days for the Jags. As of late, neither team has fared well against the other as the home team, which should concern Jags fans.
Of the last six meetings, the home team has lost five games. The only exemption was when the Steelers were able to get one home victory against the Jags in 2011.
The most notable year for this rivalry came in 2017 when the Jags defeated the Steelers twice at home (once in the regular season and once in the postseason). The Steelers then came back the following year and beat the Jags at TIAA Bank Field.
Both teams look significantly different now and have lost a lot of star power like notables Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and Calais Campbell on the Jags’ side and Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell on the Steelers’ side. That said, this one could go either way although the Steelers are the better team.
4. Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars (Dec. 27)
This is a game where points could be hard to come by for Jacksonville as the Bears were fourth overall defensively and ninth against the run in 2019. However, if there is a positive, it’s the fact that they weren’t very good offensively, ranking 29th overall.
The big storylines in this game will be the fact that former Jags quarterback Nick Foles could be under center over Mitch Trubisky, and when considering their offensive woes from last year, maybe he should be. Additionally, the Jags will have to deal with former receiver Allen Robinson, who will see 1-on-1s with rookie C.J. Henderson and third-year player Tre Herndon.
Like the aforementioned games, this should also be a test to see what Minshew is made of late in the season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee (Sept. 20)
The good thing is the Jags will get this one out of the way Week 2. The bad thing is that the Jags haven’t won in Tennessee since 2013. Only Abry Jones was on the roster as a rookie. Needless to say, this is a part of the team’s history they would like to end this year as the Titans are their most disliked rivals.
The Titans will be coming off a run in which they were in the AFC Championship and will be looking to get back there. Of course, a big reason for that was running back Derrick Henry, who the Jags haven’t had any answers for over the last few years. Since being drafted, Henry has garnered a total of 714 rushing yards and nine touchdowns against the Jags, with 441 of those rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns coming from his last three meetings.
The Jags were able to split the series with the Titans last year although that victory came at home. A key reason for that is because Henry was held to just 44 yards, so they know what needs to be done at Nissan Stadium to win.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars at Green Bay Packers (Nov. 11)
This will be another game in which the Jags travel to a postseason team. With Jordan Love now behind him, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be well past motivated to have the best season possible. With a great receiver in Davante Adams and an ascending player in former Jags receiver Allen Lazard by Rodger’s, the Jags’ young secondary will have a difficult task on their hands.
However, as much as the offense may scare some, the Packers’ defense is the unit that carried the team last year and could pose an even bigger threat. The Jags will need to make sure they keep Minshew upright as Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith, both combined for 25.5 sacks in 2019.
Much like the Ravens game, the trip to Lambeau Field will be a difficult one simply because the Packers have an elite passer and can get after the passer.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens (Dec. 20)
Simply put, the Baltimore Ravens are a Super Bowl-caliber team. League MVP Lamar Jackson will be back and causing issues for opposing defensive coordinators, and that could especially be an issue for the Jags’ young unit.
In addition to Jackson, the Ravens aren’t short of other offensive weapons like tight end Mark Andrews, running back Mark Ingram, receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and new draftee J.K. Dobbins.
Defensively, they will enter 2020 as the third-ranked defense in football (sixth and fifth against the pass and run, respectively). The unit will also have some of the league’s top names like safety Earl Thomas, former Jags defensive lineman Calais Campbell, and newly acquired linebacker Patrick Queen.
If this team is relatively healthy, Garner Minshew II is going to be tested as the Ravens will be in their playoff mindset at this point of the year.
