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Division’s Slow Start Gives Jaguars Easiest Path to Playoffs
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Division’s Slow Start Gives Jaguars Easiest Path to Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Saivion Mixson  |  Last updated Oct 23, 2026 8:00 AM ET
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For most of his career, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots punched their ticket to the playoffs every season by feasting on their inferior division foes. It’s an underrated but important part of the Patriots dynasty. With the AFC South division’s slow start, the Jacksonville Jaguars are being gifted the easiest path to the playoffs, with similar circumstances heading into the bye week.

According to Pro Football Network’s Strength of Schedule Model, the Jaguars have the 2nd-easiest remaining strength of schedule, with only the New York Giants having an easier schedule.

Jacksonville’s Remaining Schedule After the Bye Week

Main Takeaways


Oct 18, 2026; London, ENG; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) yells during the second half against the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
  • No matter how good your team is, seven games away from home, including three straight road games that start with a Thursday Night clash against another top AFC team in Baltimore? That is rough sledding for any team with top-seeding expectations.
  • Most of the losses that make up the easy strength of schedule stem from two matchups against the 1-5 Titans and the 2-4 Indianapolis Colts. But the games against the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, with both of them being on the road, in my opinion, cancel out the road games where the Jaguars should be heavily favored, as long as injuries permit, and all NFL fans know that division games on the road are essentially as unpredictable as college football games.
  • Jacksonville should still make the playoffs with ease, but given how Houston played on Sunday, the Jaguars need to be prepared to fight for the division down the stretch.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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