This time last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like one of the biggest messes in the NFL. But it’s amazing what a coaching change can do as now the Jaguars are a team on the rise and could play in their first-ever Super Bowl this season.

A Closer Look at the Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 NFL Season

2023 Schedule Release

You can’t write this stuff… or can you?@Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/UKDuwtpfBB

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 12, 2023

• NFL Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 2: at Jacksonville Jaguars — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears — 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• NFL Week 4: at New York Jets — 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 6: vs. Denver Broncos — 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• NFL Week 7: vs. Los Angeles Chargers — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 8: at Denver Broncos — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins — 9:30 a.m. ET (NFLN)
• NFL Week 10: BYE
• NFL Week 11: vs. Philadelphia Eagles — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC)
• NFL Week 12: at Las Vegas Raiders — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 13: at Green Bay Packers — 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• NFL Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 15: at New England Patriots — 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
• NFL Week 16: vs. Las Vegas Raiders — 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 17: vs. Cincinnati Bengals — 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
• NFL Week 18: at Los Angeles Chargers — TBD (TBD)

How Was Last Season for the Jags?

Last February, the Jaguars hired Doug Pederson as their head coach. Pederson went 42-37-1 and made three playoff appearances in five seasons in Philadelphia (2016-20). The team won the Super Bowl following the 2017 season under his watch. Pederson spent the 2021 season out of football, but he was the first head-coaching candidate the Jaguars interviewed to replace Urban Meyer – who was maybe the biggest coach disaster in NFL history.

At first, it actually didn’t look like things had changed under Pederson as Jacksonville started 3-7 last year but didn’t lose again, clinching the AFC South with a 20-16 win over Tennessee in Week 18. That earned the Jags the No. 4 seed in the AFC and a home playoff game against the Chargers. The Jags trailed that game 27-0 late in the first half but stormed back to win 31-30.

Riley Patterson kicked a game-winning 36-yard field goal on the final play of the game to complete the third largest comeback in postseason history. The comeback came after Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions, but the first overall pick of the 2021 draft showed off his resilience. He threw touchdowns on four straight possessions.

The next week, Jacksonville lost 27-20 in Kansas City but no shame there. Jacksonville had a chance to make it 27-24 with just a few minutes left in the game, but a Jamal Agnew fumble at the Chiefs’ three-yard line pretty much ended things. The Jaguars kicked a 48-yard field goal with 0:25 left to give them a chance for the onside kick, but there was never a doubt.

Tough loss but an overall big step forward and now the Jaguars are the team to beat in the AFC South with clearly the best quarterback in it in Trevor Lawrence. The third-year pro should make a significant leap as a playmaker in his second season under Pederson’s guidance. After spending two off seasons and a regular season mastering the nuances of the scheme, Lawrence should be able to work through his progressions quickly against any coverage to find the best option on each play.

Roster Updates

The Jaguars’ wide receivers/tight ends should vie for honors as the best set of pass catchers in the league. The combination of wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones and tight end Evan Engram can produce three 1,000-yard receivers due to complementary skills and interchangeability of the unit. Ridley is new this season, acquired last year from Atlanta but had to sit out all of 2022 due to a gambling suspension.

Ridley is a top candidate for Comeback Player of the Year and believes he could have a 1,400 yard season. Engram set single-season tight end franchise records in Jacksonville, accounting for 73 receptions for 766 yards and four touchdowns last year. He was slapped with the franchise tag.

The Jacksonville offensive line will be short-handed early on as left tackle Cam Robinson was suspended the first four games of the 2023 regular season for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug (PED) policy. Robinson will still be able to attend training camp and play in preseason games. He will lose $888,888 for each suspended game, totaling nearly $4 million. Walker Little is expected to man left tackle and rookie Anton Harrison will likely take the right tackle spot. When Robinson was sidelined due to injury the last two seasons, Little stepped in, starting eight games in his absence.

A Look into their 2023 NFL Season

Jacksonville is a 3.5-point favorite for Week 1 at Indianapolis. The Jaguars are 5-17 all-time against the Colts in Indianapolis, with the Colts winning the last five meetings there – including a 34-27 Jaguars loss in October of 2022. The Jags have three prime-time games this year (rarity) and play twice in London: A home game against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium in London on October 1 and a road game against the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the following Sunday. The bye is Week 9.

The schedule features five games against 2022 division champions (Buffalo, Kansas City, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay) and one other 2022 playoff team (Baltimore). Six of the Jags’ 17 games are against teams that had winning records in 2022.

Where to Bet On NFL with Crypto

NFL odds are available all year round here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to win tons of crypto from the 2023-24 NFL season with our up-to-date NFL futures odds, as well as our special Crypto Squares and Picks contests throughout the upcoming season!

Check out our latest crypto betting guides for the NFL season. Stay tuned for more football previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest NFL betting odds at our online crypto sportsbook.

READ MORE: Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 NFL Season Betting Guide