Who are the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2021 NFL opponents as they look to bounce back from a poor performance in the 2020 season? Let’s look at who the Jaguars will play in 2021, and what that means in terms of their strength of schedule ranking compared to their rivals.
Who do the Jaguars play in 2021?
The Jaguars’ list of 2021 opponents will see them play the regular six games against the AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans. As is customary, the Jaguars will face each of those three teams both at home and on the road during the 2021 season.
Related | Jaguars Pre-Senior Bowl 7-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft
The 2021 season will also see the AFC South compete against the AFC East and NFC West for another eight games. The traditional schedule’s final two games will see the Jaguars face the two teams that finished in last place of the AFC North (Cincinnati Bengals) and AFC West (Denver Broncos).
What about the Jaguars’ 17th game in 2021?
The 2021 season is expected to introduce a 17th regular season game for all NFL teams. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on NFL.com that plans are in place to expand the regular season, although their report has yet to be officially confirmed by the NFL. Therefore, who would be the opponent for the Jaguars’ 17th game in the 2021 season?
Reports suggest that a decision has been made on how the 17th game opponent will be decided. The matchup will be an interconference matchup based on standings on a rotational basis.
Albert Breer reported that the divisional alignments for the 2021 season had already been set. According to Breer, the AFC South will face the NFC South for the 17th game. Therefore, the Jaguars’ opponent for their 17th game in 2021 would be the Atlanta Falcons.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2021 opponents
Here are the teams that the Jacksonville Jaguars will play against in the 2021 NFL season:
Home: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos
Road: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals
17th game (location TBD): Atlanta Falcons
Jacksonville Jaguars’ strength of schedule for 2021
As we look ahead towards the 2021 NFL season, how does the Jaguars’ strength of schedule for 2021 shape up? The strength of schedule rankings here are compiled from the 2020 records of the Jaguars’ 2021 opponents.
The Jaguars have a middle of the road schedule in 2021
The Jaguars’ 2021 strength of schedule ranks 18th in the league. They have the 10th-most difficult schedule in the AFC and the second-easiest schedule in the AFC South. Only the Indianapolis Colts project to have an easier schedule within their division.
Related | Top Jacksonville Jaguars’ pending free agents in 2021
The six games against their own division see the Jaguars face three teams that won a total of 26 of their 48 games. The remainder of the Jaguars’ 2021 opponents sees them face another three playoff teams from 2020 in the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Buffalo Bills.
However, the Jaguars do get some respite on their schedule. Facing the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons, means they face five teams who had an average of just 4.2 wins during the 2020 season.
How does their schedule at home compare to their schedule on the road?
The Jaguars’ schedule breaks down reasonably evenly between their home and road games. At TIAA Bank Field, their schedule ties for the 12th toughest. Meanwhile, on the road, their schedule ties as the 19th toughest. They face four teams, both home and away, who won double-digit games in 2020.
Want more NFL news and analysis?
Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@PFN365) to stay up to date with all things around the NFL. Also, continue to visit Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis concerning the 2020 season and beyond.