The Jacksonville Jaguars’ schedule has been out since May 12, which means fans have had two months to evaluate it. Many on the internet have even gone as far as making early predictions, however, we’ll save that for training camp.

When looking at the lineup of the teams the Jags will face, it’s certainly not the worst schedule, but it still has some hurdles, especially for a team that only won a game last season. With that being the case, we’ve decided to preview the five games on the schedule we feel are the most difficult, as Urban Meyer will try his hand in the NFL this season.

5.) Week 17 at New England Patriots

Jan 3, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (1) hugs offensive guard Joe Thuney (62) during the forth quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

While this is the second to last game of the season, Jags fans would agree that a trip to Foxborough this late in the season doesn’t sound fun, especially if the Jags miraculously are in the hunt for the playoffs.

Many will be quick to point out the unknown with New England’s quarterback situation, but don’t forget they still went 7-9 despite Cam Robinson missing games due to COVID-19. However, he’s had the whole offseason to learn from the staff this spring and summer, and COVID-19 risks should be down for the whole league, which could lead to a better season for the Patriots.

And besides, who expects Bill Belichick to stay down for long, especially after the free agency period they had? Not many.

4.) Week 8 at Seattle Seattle

Jan 3, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This will be one of two regular season West Coast trips for the Jags, and as fans are aware, they don’t play well on the opposite end of the country. In fact, the Jags will enter this season 3-13 on the West Coast, and while this is a new group, they still have to prove themselves in these types of away games.

It’s no secret that the Jags will be one of the youngest teams in the NFL and the twelves are going to make it as difficult as possible with crowd noise. When adding in Russell Wilson’s magician-like skill set and D.K. Metcalf’s freakish ability on the perimeter, it’s clear the Jags are going to have their hands full and can’t get overwhelmed.

If the Jags could upset the Seahawks Week 8, it would not only be huge for the team and fans, but Meyer. The reason for that is because it will mark his first-ever game against fellow college legend Pete Carroll.

3.) Week 11 vs. San Francisco

Nov 12, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on before a game against the New York Giants at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Well, the good news about facing San Francisco is that the Jags won’t have to travel to Santa Clara. Instead, Kyle Shanahan and company will be coming to Jacksonville.

However, that doesn’t mean this will be an easy game. The 49ers were hit with a ridiculous amount of injured reserve transactions with the most notable occurring to their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Notables like George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Solomon Thomas (now with Las Vegas), and Jaquiski Tart were some of the others to join him, too. However, when healthy, the 49ers are a Super Bowl contender as they just participated in Super Bowl LIV not too long ago.

It’s unknown if Garoppolo will be starting when the 49ers come to Jacksonville, but they would still be a dangerous team under Trey Lance when considering Shanahan’s ability as an offensive mind. If the rookie from North Dakota State is the starter at this point in the season, fans would then get to see him battle No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence in a battle of Round 1 signal-callers.

2.) Week 9 vs. Buffalo Bills

Oct 14, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Since the Buffalo Bills’ wildcard matchup against the Jags in 2018, a rivalry has developed between these two teams and fanbases. However, the issue for the Jags is that the Bills have gotten significantly better and were one game away from the Super Bowl last season.

Josh Allen made a huge leap last season under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who is a future head coach in the eyes of many. If the young signal-caller can continue his growth alongside receiver Stefon Diggs, this could be the hardest game on the Jags’ schedule.

If the offense wasn’t enough of a potential problem, the fact that the Bills bolstered their pass-rush this offseason should be. They addressed the issue in both the first and second rounds by drafting Greg Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr., both of whom could be acclimated enough by Week 9.

1.) Week 13: at Los Angeles Rams

Jun 10, 2021; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws during passing drill during at an offseason workout at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills could’ve easily been here, but the Los Angeles Rams game could prove to be more difficult and the reason is that, as previously mentioned, the Jags don’t travel well to the West Coast.

If that wasn’t hard enough for the Jags, the fact that the Rams made an upgrade at quarterback by trading for Matthew Stafford should worry fans. While he has yet to take a regular season snap with the team, the belief by many is that he could spread his wings after escaping Detroit and it doesn’t help that the Jags’ defense is a key concern heading into this season.

Then, of course, there is the possibility for former Jags cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, to have a revenge game. As many are aware, the Jags traded him to Los Angeles in October of 2019. Since that moment, he’s been awarded a mega-contract and has played well for the Rams. In fact, he was recently named the top cornerback in the NFL by ESPN.

The good news is that the Jags could be clicking by Week 13. Hopefully, that means Lawrence is playing like the Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate he’s projected to be and the Jags’ revamped defense is putting it all together by this point.