Will Jaguars' Schedule Create Repeat of 2022?

The last time the Jacksonville Jaguars were seemingly on top of the world (relatively speaking), was 2022.

It was an odd but eventful year, with the Jaguars going from last-to-first in the AFC South over the course of the season before finishing with a 9-8 record an AFC South crown.

A record-breaking comeback Wild Card win against the Los Angeles Chargers and a toughly-fought battle with the Kansas City Chiefs later, and the Jaguars looked like the next big thing.

That fateful year under former head coach Doug Pederson saw Trevor Lawrence have the best statistical season of his career, largely the result of a late-season run that Lawrence and the passing offense explode.

This only happened, though, after the Jaguars started 2-6 and went through a five-game losing streak. The first half of the season was, for all intents and purposes, brutal.

The Jaguars turned things around in the second half of the season, winning their final five games and surging to the playoffs.

The question now is simple: can history repeat itself?

Simply put, the Jaguars' first-half schedule this year is brutal. Outside of a relatively tame opponent in the season opener in the Carolina Panthers, the Jaguars' first-half schedule is a murderer's row of opponents.

Yes the Cincinnati Bengals always start slow, but they still have Joe Burrow. The Texans are still the Texans, the 49ers on the road is a tough road trip for any east coast team, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams are two of the top Super Bowl candidates in the NFL.

Considering the new coaching staff and general hitting of the reset button, the Jaguars could very easily have a hard time getting their footing during this time.

The good news? The second-half schedule is much easier, with four games against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in the final six weeks and other games against fellow teams who are fresh off picking in the top-10 in the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders.

Simply put, it would be far from shocking to see the Jaguars struggle out of the gate before finishing hot down the stretch.

It happened in 2022, and the schedule is set up for it to potentially happen again.