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The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2022 NFL season with the hope that second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence and new head coach Doug Pederson can lead the franchise to its first winning season since 2017.
Jacksonville has been one of the worst teams in the NFL since reaching the AFC Championship Game in 2018 and has seen plenty of turnover with its roster. Players like Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Fournette, Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue and AJ Bouye are now playing elsewhere, and the franchise is in a rebuild.
Despite the difficulties, the Jaguars should at least make some progress in 2022, though they will face some difficult matchups, especially in the AFC South.
The NFL unveiled the 2022 regular-season schedule on Thursday, and Jacksonville’s first challenge will come in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. That said, here’s a full look at the schedule and some analysis on key opponents.
2022 Jacksonville Jaguars Schedule
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Full television schedule can be found on the team’s official website.
Analysis
Let’s first take a look at Jacksonville’s matchups within the division, considering they’ll play some pretty tough teams within the AFC South.
The Tennessee Titans have won the division in each of the last two seasons, and if they can stay healthy in 2022, they’ll be primed to do so again behind Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Treylon Burks.
The Titans also made some solid additions this offseason in wide receiver Robert Woods and tight end Austin Hooper, which makes the offense even more potent than it was in 2021. While Henry serves as Tennessee’s main offensive weapon, Tannehill will have no shortage of pass catchers in 2022.
The Jaguars haven’t defeated the Titans since 2019 and have lost nine of their last 10 matchups against the franchise dating back to 2017. So, Jacksonville has certainly struggled against Tennessee in recent years.
As for the Indianapolis Colts, they’ll be significantly more difficult to face this season after acquiring veteran quarterback Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons during the offseason. An offense that includes Ryan, Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. should be an upgrade from the one Carson Wentz ran in 2021.
And while the Jags have won three of their last five matchups against the Colts, this 2022 Indy team could be the best it has been in a while, which could cause issues for Pederson’s squad.
The Texans, meanwhile, should be a beatable team. Houston is rebuilding and hasn’t been good for some time, which opens the door for Lawrence and the Jaguars to take advantage of a depleted team.
One of the most intriguing matchups on Jacksonville’s schedule comes against the New York Jets. It will be a battle of the second-year quarterbacks and first and second overall picks in the 2021 draft in Lawrence and Zach Wilson.
Neither quarterback had a particularly impressive rookie season, and both franchises will be looking for them to show improvement in 2022. If Wilson outplays Lawrence, some Jaguars fans might end up wishing the franchise drafted him.
One of Jacksonville’s most difficult matchups will come against the Las Vegas Raiders, who made significant upgrades this offseason in the form of Davante Adams and Chandler Jones.
Seeing as how Adams and quarterback Derek Carr played college football together at Fresno State, their connection should give many teams a difficult time this season, including the Jaguars.
Jacksonville will also face tough quarterbacks in Denver Broncos’ Russell Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, among others, so it’s going to be a difficult season for the Jags.
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