Interesting choice putting the Chiefs game at 1PM.  Most of the country won't see it in that slot.

The majority of NFL games are in that slot.  
Are you saying most of our nation's NFL fans don't watch them?

Most people don't have Sunday ticket.  In most places, the local CBS affiliate will have to show a more local game.

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My fellow southpaw Mark Brunell will probably always be my favorite Jaguar.

as usual NFL gives the Jags the toughest schedule of all 32 teams in NFL.

.........or the 23rd.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-...it-easier/

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https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/16570...33088?s=20

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https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/16570...33088?s=20

This is the first time in years though that we can say this about our football team. I do like the fact that Cowherd says what needs to be said. "Schedules matter". 

With that said. I would be surprised if we ultimately ended up with the first seed. It would be awesome. I'll absolutely take it. Would presume we're expected to win 13 games this year? That would be the highest expectation. 

I jokingly said 14 -3 earlier, with us losing only on a primetime level. Just for the hell of it. This team would have to be damn near perfect and elite on offense and defensively they're going to have to get off the football field on 3rd downs. 

Like Cowherd said. You're only looking at four quality QB's to contest with where the other contests we clearly have the QB advantage. So, they better damn well play like that because we're not going to get another schedule like this or opportunity like this again for a few years.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

I had a bunch of random thoughts on the schedule:

- The schedule is great exposure for the Jaguars with a Sunday Night Football game, a Monday Night Football game, a Thursday Night Football game and two 9:30am London games.  That's five games where the Jaguars will be the only game on tv.

- From a fan perspective, I don't like a 4pm Christmas Eve game.  Many people may have family obligations and it can be tough to run off for a football game if others aren't Jaguars fans.  If you are visiting relatives out of market, it would be easier to step away to a sports bar if the game was at 1pm.  

- I really like the Buffalo game in London.  It was by far our toughest road game and now it's at a neutral site.  If anything, the Jaguars have the home field advantage with more London experience.  I also think being out there for the game before is also an advantage.  It's another week to adjust to the time zone, etc.

- With Buffalo at a neutral site, our only road game against a team with a winning record from last year is the 9-7 Steelers.  The only playoff team is the 8-9 Buccaneers who have now lost Tom Brady.

- While we have some other tough games including Kansas City, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Baltimore, we at least get all of these games at home.  We also have a bye right before San Francisco.  We also have (relatively speaking) easier games in the weeks before Kansas City and Cincinnati with us playing the Colts and the Texans.

- I like playing the Colts and Texans early.  We will either be playing against a backup caliber quarterback or a rookie with little experience.  We play the Colts in weeks 1 and 6.  We play Houston in week 3.  The other Houston game is week 12 which isn't early but could easily have been later.  

- Despite drafting a quarterback, playing the Titans late may not be bad.  They still have Tannehill and I think they probably use him until they are out of contention.  We are more likely to see Levis late in the season.  We can also hope the Titans have been eliminated by week 18 and are focusing on draft position.  

- With a rookie quarterback, it might have been nice to play Carolina early.  On the other hand, Carolina might be focused on draft picks in week 17 and mail it in.

- The Jaguars don't have to worry much about cold weather games.  In November, December and January, the Jaguars play 5 games in Jacksonville, 1 game in Tampa, 1 game in Houston, and 1 game in Tennessee.  The only possible exception could be the game in Cleveland on December 10th.

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As it stands now, the main concern i have is that the relatively easy schedule may end up masking defensive shortcomings.

Last year, our pass rush was iffy.

I'm not sure we got any better, and it's possible we took a step back in the secondary.

That said, it's the NFL. Can't take anything for granted.

From initial appearances, it looks as though the Jaguars are poised to have a very good season. But a lot still has to go right for us to have the kind of season we want. We have to be on point in our divisional games and games against the NFC South. We have to be at the top of our games to beat teams like K.C., Buffahole, Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Francisco and and Pittsburgh. Good health must be our ally.

If we beat the teams we "should" beat, we should have about 11 or so wins.

2 vs Indy, Houston, and Trashville=6 wins
1 each vs the NFC South (NO, Tampa, Atlanta, and Carolina=4 wins,
1 vs Cleveland (though a very tough game, especially if Watson is back to his pre holdout/suspension form)

If we win these "winnable" games that's 11 wins off the bat.

If we can evenly split the games against KC, Buffahole, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pukesburgh and San Francisco, that would leave us with a 14-3 record.

Does that equate to home field advantage?

Probably.

As Cowherd points out, the Chiefs have a very daunting stretch of games mid season.

Buffahole is still a strong team, but don't appear to be quite as strong as they were at this time last year. Plus their division is stronger with Rodgers joining the Jets and Ramsey joining Miami, making them a strong match-up with the Bills.

The Bengals pose a legitimate threat to earn home-field advantage. Though they have a much stronger schedule, they are still quite a talented team, and as long as they remain healthy, they will be formidable.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

So who copied who?

https://twitter.com/Saints/status/165681...ts-more%2F

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As it stands now, the main concern i have is that the relatively easy schedule may end up masking defensive shortcomings.

Last year, our pass rush was iffy.

I'm not sure we got any better, and it's possible we took a step back in the secondary.

That said, it's the NFL.  Can't take anything for granted.

From initial appearances, it looks as though the Jaguars are poised to have a very good season.  But a lot still has to go right for us to have the kind of season we want.  We have to be on point in our divisional games and games against the NFC South.  We have to be at the top of our games to beat teams like K.C., Buffahole, Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Francisco and and Pittsburgh.  Good health must be our ally.

If we beat the teams we "should" beat, we should have about 11 or so wins.

2 vs Indy, Houston, and Trashville=6 wins
1 each vs the NFC South (NO, Tampa, Atlanta, and Carolina=4 wins,
1 vs Cleveland (though a very tough game, especially if Watson is back to his pre holdout/suspension form)

If we win these "winnable" games that's 11 wins off the bat.

If we can evenly split the games against KC, Buffahole, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pukesburgh and San Francisco, that would leave us with a 14-3 record.

How did we take a step back in the secondary? Just curious. We only lost three players in the off season. Jawaan Taylor at RT, Arden Key at DE (rotational basis) and Shaq Griffin at CB (good riddance, his last play as a Jaguar will forever be Alec Pierce roasting him for the go ahead TD in a game that would have potentially eliminated the stress and need to win the home finale)

I don't think we have lost anything if I am being completely honest. I think with the majority of this roster returning in year two with a coaching staff that pulled some pretty impressive feats with a team that had just come off from back-to-back number one overall selections in these last two drafts? 

The sky's the limit in my opinion. I think we did get better. We added Ridley last year which should stagger down the stress for Kirk and Jones. We added a legitimate H-Back in Strange to allow more flexibility in the ground game and misdirection aspect of Pederson's offense which should only enable Engram to continue adding onto his abilities as a pass catcher in other capacities. 

We added Harrison at RT. We added Bigsby who SHOULD be a competent #2 behind Etienne and that's with Hasty and Johnson onboard already to keep the rotation interesting and competent. I think Parish, who was the 240th pick and last pick of our draft class? I am willing to be he flashes his speed, strength and hands in addition to special teams ability and he ultimately ends up being our FB. 

I just see a lot of power offense being added to this team this offseason to counterbalance the aerial attack that Pederson coveted last year with Lawrence. I think we'll be able to set the terms with any opponent now and we should be able to bleed clocks dry and be even more effective in the play action game against these bigger opponents with bigger names at the QB position. 

I think 11 wins should be the minimum expectation and most fans would be content with that. If they get anything close to 13, 14? We'll be talking Superbowl here leading up to week 18. Either outcome is possible. I just don't see how this team took a step back though at all this off season. The depth should be better. The starters should be more competent and comfortable in year two. 

Just have to stay healthy. I agree with that.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

as usual NFL gives the Jags the toughest schedule of all 32 teams in NFL.

As usual you make this comment.

You know who ‘gave them the schedule’?  The Jaguars.  Schedules are predetermined by the prior years record.  Sheesh.

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As it stands now, the main concern i have is that the relatively easy schedule may end up masking defensive shortcomings.

Last year, our pass rush was iffy.

I'm not sure we got any better, and it's possible we took a step back in the secondary.

That said, it's the NFL.  Can't take anything for granted.

From initial appearances, it looks as though the Jaguars are poised to have a very good season.  But a lot still has to go right for us to have the kind of season we want.  We have to be on point in our divisional games and games against the NFC South.  We have to be at the top of our games to beat teams like K.C., Buffahole, Cincinnati, Baltimore, San Francisco and and Pittsburgh.  Good health must be our ally.

If we beat the teams we "should" beat, we should have about 11 or so wins.

2 vs Indy, Houston, and Trashville=6 wins
1 each vs the NFC South (NO, Tampa, Atlanta, and Carolina=4 wins,
1 vs Cleveland (though a very tough game, especially if Watson is back to his pre holdout/suspension form)

If we win these "winnable" games that's 11 wins off the bat.

If we can evenly split the games against KC, Buffahole, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pukesburgh and San Francisco, that would leave us with a 14-3 record.

How did we take a step back in the secondary? Just curious. We only lost three players in the off season. Jawaan Taylor at RT, Arden Key at DE (rotational basis) and Shaq Griffin at CB (good riddance, his last play as a Jaguar will forever be Alec Pierce roasting him for the go ahead TD in a game that would have potentially eliminated the stress and need to win the home finale)

I don't think we have lost anything if I am being completely honest. I think with the majority of this roster returning in year two with a coaching staff that pulled some pretty impressive feats with a team that had just come off from back-to-back number one overall selections in these last two drafts? 

The sky's the limit in my opinion. I think we did get better. We added Ridley last year which should stagger down the stress for Kirk and Jones. We added a legitimate H-Back in Strange to allow more flexibility in the ground game and misdirection aspect of Pederson's offense which should only enable Engram to continue adding onto his abilities as a pass catcher in other capacities. 

We added Harrison at RT. We added Bigsby who SHOULD be a competent #2 behind Etienne and that's with Hasty and Johnson onboard already to keep the rotation interesting and competent. I think Parish, who was the 240th pick and last pick of our draft class? I am willing to be he flashes his speed, strength and hands in addition to special teams ability and he ultimately ends up being our FB. 

I just see a lot of power offense being added to this team this offseason to counterbalance the aerial attack that Pederson coveted last year with Lawrence. I think we'll be able to set the terms with any opponent now and we should be able to bleed clocks dry and be even more effective in the play action game against these bigger opponents with bigger names at the QB position. 

I think 11 wins should be the minimum expectation and most fans would be content with that. If they get anything close to 13, 14? We'll be talking Superbowl here leading up to week 18. Either outcome is possible. I just don't see how this team took a step back though at all this off season. The depth should be better. The starters should be more competent and comfortable in year two. 

Just have to stay healthy. I agree with that.

I would feel better about the secondary if we did more at CB/Nickel.

We're set with Tyson Campbell at one CB.  However, I am NOT sold on Darius Williams as the other starter, and the thought of Tre Herndon as the starting nickel at this point makes me queasy.  I wasn't comfortable with him years back when we traded Ramsey.  We got some good play out of him then, and he was a bit of a pleasant surprise to me then.  Now? Not sold on him at all.  To me, he got exploited a bit in coverage last year.  If we get away with him getting the majority of snaps at nickel, it's because of all of the inexperience and general ineptitude we'll likely  face at QB this year.  I shudder at the idea of him matched up against KC or Cincinnati's WRs.  Williams played well last year, but he's on the small side and he's getting up in age.  

The drafting of Antonio Johnson gives me some hope in that area.  If he is able to be utilized aggressively underneath like Polamalu and LeRoy Butler were back in the day, we'll have a playmaking element to the secondary-nickel back specifically-we haven't had in years.  But at this point, I'm not sure:

a.  Johnson has the physical skill to pull off such a role.  I like his selection in the draft, but until he does it, I'll have some doubt/question.

b.  Even assuming Johnson has the acumen to play a role similar to Butler/Polamalu, will the Jaguars' scheme play him simiarly or otherwise utilize him properly?

This becomes more important if the pass rush was as inconsistent as it was last year. At this stage, I don't know enough about the rookies to make any pronouncements either way. At this stage, though it's doubtful it'll happens, I'd rather re-sign Ngakoue or one of the other vets to add to our edge rushers. As long as this combination of weaknesses exist, or until I see this offense operate on all 8 cylinders with more experience and the additional talent in the offense, these areas of the defense are of concern in my mind.

Having said all of this, I believe whatever decline we may see in pass defense will be more than offset by the improvement in the offense.  Having this scheme entrenched here for a full year alone should mean overall improvement for the offense.  Add to that Calvin Ridley (who, at minimum, should be able to moderately improve over Marvin Jones), Tank Bigsby, who should give us better depth than we had last year, and I think our offense is in better shape than last year if Harrison transitions to RT as well as I think he can.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

The farthest they have to travel this season is Houston. Not bad. Obviously they go to London, just like every year, but as far as the States go, can't beat that.

PIT and CLE are further, but same time zone.

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Interesting choice putting the Chiefs game at 1PM.  Most of the country won't see it in that slot.

we gotta lotta divisional games on fox too, from what I read. Means I'll have to go to the bar because we always get stuck with failcons games...because anybody wants to watch that train wreck

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The majority of NFL games are in that slot.  
Are you saying most of our nation's NFL fans don't watch them?

10AM kick on the west coast, a bunch of other markets will broadcast local teams instead of a potential feature game, us vs. the world, you know...

Pitt isn't farther than Houston, but Cleveland is by like 25 miles.

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The majority of NFL games are in that slot.  
Are you saying most of our nation's NFL fans don't watch them?

Most people don't have Sunday ticket.  In most places, the local CBS affiliate will have to show a more local game.

35% of NFL fans  polled say they plan to purchase Sunday Ticket and millions more find other ways to watch more than the lone game aired by a local affiliate. 

That manner of broadcast vs viewership is rapidly going right out the window.

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So the closest Jags game to me will be in Vegas.

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I agree with Cowherd. Calling it now, 13-4. Last year I said we would win 11 games, I missed it by 1 game.


https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/16570...33088?s=20

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I agree with Cowherd.  Calling it now, 13-4.  Last year I said we would win 11 games, I missed it by 1 game.


https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/16570...33088?s=20

I would take 13-4, especially if there were no major injuries, and we beat Buffahole.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I love the NFL's thinking on this for KC. 

'Patrick Mahomes elite? Let's see how elite.' 

As much as I hate to see him make our defense look underwhelming and show us the door, the guy is fun to watch. Kansas City has a good thing going. This is going to be a big year for Mahomes to cement his dominance.

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I love the NFL's thinking on this for KC. 

'Patrick Mahomes elite? Let's see how elite.' 

As much as I hate to see him make our defense look underwhelming and show us the door, the guy is fun to watch. Kansas City has a good thing going. This is going to be a big year for Mahomes to cement his dominance.

Mahomes has won Two (2) Super Bowls already and has been to three (3). He has two Super Bowl MVPs to his credit, was named All Pro twice, league MVP and 5 Pro Bowls.

If he never plays another down of football, he already has a Hall of Fame resume.

But he has a great play calling offensive coach, possibly an all time great TE, a strong OL for most of his career.

Those guys represent the biggest obstacle to the Jaguars dominating the AFC.  Thankfully, they have ruined the Bills chances or possibly winning a Super Bowl or two by knocking them out of the playoffs.

But based on the way the Chiefs continue to draft, coach, and play they will likely be a formidable opponent for years to come.  Getting to a Super Bowl by beating them would be quite the accomplishment for the Jaguars.  Offensively, I don't think the Jaguars are far away from being able to beat them.  We must get better defensively though.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I love the NFL's thinking on this for KC. 

'Patrick Mahomes elite? Let's see how elite.' 

As much as I hate to see him make our defense look underwhelming and show us the door, the guy is fun to watch. Kansas City has a good thing going. This is going to be a big year for Mahomes to cement his dominance.

Mahomes has won Two (2) Super Bowls already and has been to three (3). He has two Super Bowl MVPs to his credit, was named All Pro twice, league MVP and 5 Pro Bowls.

If he never plays another down of football, he already has a Hall of Fame resume.

But he has a great play calling offensive coach, possibly an all time great TE, a strong OL for most of his career.

Those guys represent the biggest obstacle to the Jaguars dominating the AFC.  Thankfully, they have ruined the Bills chances or possibly winning a Super Bowl or two by knocking them out of the playoffs.

But based on the way the Chiefs continue to draft, coach, and play they will likely be a formidable opponent for years to come.  Getting to a Super Bowl by beating them would be quite the accomplishment for the Jaguars.  Offensively, I don't think the Jaguars are far away from being able to beat them.  We must get better defensively though.

I'm with you on disliking the Bills, but you seem to really hate them.  Emperor Palpatine would be proud.

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Mahomes has won Two (2) Super Bowls already and has been to three (3). He has two Super Bowl MVPs to his credit, was named All Pro twice, league MVP and 5 Pro Bowls.

If he never plays another down of football, he already has a Hall of Fame resume.

But he has a great play calling offensive coach, possibly an all time great TE, a strong OL for most of his career.

Those guys represent the biggest obstacle to the Jaguars dominating the AFC.  Thankfully, they have ruined the Bills chances or possibly winning a Super Bowl or two by knocking them out of the playoffs.

But based on the way the Chiefs continue to draft, coach, and play they will likely be a formidable opponent for years to come.  Getting to a Super Bowl by beating them would be quite the accomplishment for the Jaguars.  Offensively, I don't think the Jaguars are far away from being able to beat them.  We must get better defensively though.

I'm with you on disliking the Bills, but you seem to really hate them.  Emperor Palpatine would be proud.

My buddy has done that himself.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Such a winnable schedule, maybe this is the year we actually win when we are supposed to, instead of saying #becausejaguars at 4 pm

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