On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
So much for Jacksonville’s quote-unquote easy schedule. Only eight of the Jaguars’ 17 games are against teams that finished with winning records in 2024. However, after the league announced the 2025 slate Wednesday night, five of those eight fell within a murderer’s row early in the season.
After Travis Hunter’s much-anticipated debut at home against Carolina, a team that finished 5-12 but won two of its last three under a reborn Bryce Young, the Jaguars begin a brutal stretch.
That six-game run consists of a visit to Joe Burrow and the Bengals (9-8 last season), home against defending division champ Houston (10-7) and a cross-country flight to San Francisco (6-11). Then, the Jaguars are back home for a Monday night against perennial Super Bowl contender Kansas City (15-2) followed by Seattle (10-7) at home on a short week and a cross-Atlantic flight to London for a tilt against the team that tested the eventual Super Bowl champion more than any other last season, the L.A. Rams.
“If the Jaguars aren't careful, they could be 2-5 or worse heading into their Week 8 bye,” wrote CBS analyst John Breech on Wednesday night.
In other words, by the time Jacksonville boards its Heathrow flight home and enters its Week 8 bye in late October, the Jaguars could be deep in the division cellar. Of course, they also could be above .500 and, if so, will have earned a lot of respect having registered multiple wins during that gauntlet.
But to get there, they’ll have to overcome some serious obstacles. The league should learn quickly when Jacksonville meets Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins whether Anthony Campanile has been able to turn around the NFL’s worst passing defense (257.4 yards allowed per game last season).
Then, in Week 3, Jacksonville will need to break a seven-year home losing streak against the Texans. The Jaguars haven’t beaten Houston in Jacksonville since 2017, when Trevor Lawrence was a senior at Cartersville High School in Georgia. If Lawrence can somehow lead the Jaguars to a 3-0 start, the team should be in phenomenal shape.
And that’s the good news for Duval County.
“If the Jaguars can keep their head above water,” Breech said, “they'll get a stretch late in the season where they have three straight games against quarterbacks who will be in their first year with a new team.”
If that holds true, Cam Ward will be navigating the Titans in Week 13 when Jacksonville visits Nashville, Daniel Jones will bring the Colts to EverBank Stadium in Week 14 and Justin Fields will follow with the Jets in Week 15.
“If the Jags can win those three games,” Breech said, “they could find themselves in the thick of the AFC South race heading into the final stretch of the season.”
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and you will never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page today WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
More must-reads:
- Colts to sign key offensive lineman to a massive extension
- Suspect dies in NFL headquarters building after shooting
- The 'NFL all-time touchdown receptions leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Report: Bengals draw hard line in Trey Hendrickson contract talks
Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract, and it does not sound like the two sides are all that close to a deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" Monday that there has been "some progress" in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson's representatives over the past week or so. The real disagreement has to do with guaranteed money, and Cincinnati's brass is not budging. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multiyear deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now, and it's time to buckle up," Fowler said, via Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report. Hendrickson is set to earn $16M in base salary in the final year of his contract this season. He recently said he has shown a willingness to take less than market value on a new deal, but the Bengals do not want to guarantee him money beyond the 2026 season. Based on what he has said, the 30-year-old Hendrickson is not seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football. In order to accomplish that, he would have to top the three-year, $123M extension T.J. Watt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024. The Bengals took care of one major offseason issue on Sunday when they finally signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to a rookie deal. All it will take is one side to budge in the team's ongoing stalemate with Hendrickson, but all parties seem to be dug in as training camp rolls on.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Analyst Believes Kings Will Trade Star Player if They Land Warriors' Young Forward in Free Agency
Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg dies after battle with cancer
Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg lost his battle with cancer on Monday. He was 65. A 20th-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1978 MLB Draft, Sandberg quickly moved through the Phillies system despite his humble beginnings. He made his major league debut at the end of the 1981 season, getting six plate appearances in 13 games, his only hit coming off of a bat he borrowed from shortstop Larry Bowa. Drafted as a shortstop, the Phillies hoped that Sandberg would be the heir apparent for Bowa. However, that 13-game stint convinced the Phillies that he was not the answer. Although Sandberg had played at second and third as well in the minors, he was blocked at those positions by Manny Trillo and Mike Schmidt respectively. Bowa and Sandberg were traded to the Cubs during the 1981-82 offseason, with shortstop Ivan DeJesus heading to Philadelphia. Sandberg, now a second baseman, had a solid first two seasons in Chicago before exploding into stardom in 1984. He posted a .314/.367/.520 batting line in his 700 plate appearances, hitting 19 homers and 36 doubles while stealing 32 bases as he led the Cubs to their first postseason berth since 1945. Sandberg made his first All-Star Game, was named the NL MVP, won a Silver Slugger and his second Gold Glove award. A perennial All-Star, Sandberg possessed a combination of power and speed at second base that was rare for his era. He was a 10-time All-Star, winning nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. Sandberg posted a lifetime .285/.344/.452 batting line in his 9282 plate appearances, hitting 282 homers and 403 doubles while stealing 344 bases. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame 2005 in his third year on the ballot. After a decade away from the game, Sandberg returned as a minor league manager in the Cubs system in 2007, moving up the ladder to Triple-A in 2009. After Cubs manager Mike Quade was fired, and Sandberg was passed over for the opening, he joined the Phillies organization in 2011. After three years in the Phillies organization, he became the interim manager in 2013, and was eventually hired full-time at the end of the season. Sandberg lasted just over two years in total as the Phillies manager, resigning after 74 games in 2015 as the losses piled up. He remained in the game as a goodwill ambassador for the Cubs before announcing that he had prostate cancer in 2024. Although his cancer had gone into remission, it returned in December, spreading to other organs before Sandberg ultimately lost his battle. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sandberg during this difficult time.
Top Islanders Star Tells Asst. GM, 'You Better Not Trade Me'
The New York Islanders are entering a new era under a revamped front office, and signs point to a potential retool—or even a rebuild. The most telling move came at the NHL Draft in June, when the team traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two first-round picks. It’s a rare move in today’s NHL to deal your top blueliner, and it raised eyebrows across the league. Analysts and fans have wondered if more moves are coming. Since there are several teams looking for quality assets at a reasonable salary cap, it’s a logical question. Is Bo Horvat A Potential Trade Candidate? During an appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, newly appointed assistant to the general manager Matt Martin—an Islanders fan favorite and longtime forward—revealed a humorous but telling moment from inside the locker room. Martin, now working closely with the Isles’ new GM, said that Bo Horvat texted him immediately after the front office changes were announced. “You better not trade me,” Horvat reportedly wrote. The comments from Martin suggest that Horvat has no desire to leave the team, even if the Islanders aren’t set to be competitive this coming season. If the team is dumping some of their best talents, he does not want to be among those the organization chooses to sell. Horvat likely didn’t have to worry. He has a full no-trade clause as part of his contract, and even if management were open to asking him to waive it, he could have blocked any deal. It sounds like that would be his intention, so he was getting ahead of things by making sure they knew not to even ask.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
