Before chasing a division title, Jacksonville must survive a brutal five-week gauntlet featuring four playoff heavyweights, testing whether Liam Coen’s squad can replicate their recent elite success.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' divisional games are packed toward the second half of the season, but they must survive a gauntlet before chasing division title aspirations.
From Week 2 to Week 6, the Jaguars are facing four teams that made the playoffs last season. It is a true test for coach Liam Coen and his coaching staff to build off a 13-4 record in 2025.
After kicking off the season against the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville travels to Colorado to face Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos finished first in the AFC West with a 14-3 record and looked like Super Bowl contenders under coach Sean Payton and with Nix at the helm. The former Oregon Duck built off an impressive rookie season, throwing for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Denver defeated the Buffalo Bills in overtime, 33-30, in the divisional round, but lost Nix to a season-ending ankle injury.
Jacksonville defeated Denver, 34-20, in Week 16 en route to its eight-game winning streak to end the season.
After the Broncos, the Jaguars return home to host the New England Patriots. The Patriots are fresh off a Super Bowl appearance. Although the Mike Vrabel drama has become a topic of discussion in the offseason, it does not significantly influence the on-field product.
These two teams last met in 2021, when New England blew out Jacksonville 50-10. Five seasons later, the Jaguars and Patriots are two different teams.
Drake Maye leads the ship in New England and had a career year last season. He threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Maye upped his production in the playoffs, throwing for 828 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
Jacksonville goes on the road again after the Patriots to face off against a rejuvenated and revamped Cincinnati Bengals squad.
Quarterback Joe Burrow should enter the season healthy, barring no injuries in OTAs, and the team traded with the New York Giants to receive defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Although the Bengals did not make the playoffs last season due to Burrow missing a majority of the year to a turf toe injury, the team is still dangerous with him at the helm and Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as receiving weapons.
Jacksonville lost to Cincinnati last season, 31-27, despite Burrow suffering his turf toe injury. Jake Browning relieved the Bengals' star and scored the game-winning touchdown to defeat the Jaguars.
The Jaguars travel once more, this time to their home away from home, London, for two straight weeks. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, two tough matchups.
Philadelphia has a dynamic offense with Jalen Hurts at quarterback, Saquon Barkley manning the run game and adding USC's Makai Lemon to a receiving core of A.J. Brown -- whose time with the franchise may be up soon -- and DeVonta Smith.
These two teams last met in 2024, and the Eagles reigned victorious, 28-23, in the season they won the Super Bowl.
Jacksonville will face its division rival, Houston, to end the brutal five-week stretch. It is a battle between the AFC South juggernauts and could determine who wins the division late in the season.
The Jaguars split the series last season, but their eight-game winning streak helped secure the division title. However, the Texans have added David Montgomery to bolster their running back group and extended Will Anderson Jr.
Weeks 2 to 6 are Jacksonville's toughest stretch of the season, and surviving the gauntlet could put them in a prime position to take the AFC South again in back-to-back years.
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