Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ strength of schedule ranked 22nd, and yet, they only were able to register a single win. However, things are projected to get significantly tougher in 2021 for the new regime which is currently being constructed.
Our comrade Allison Koehler of Steelers Wire recently calculated the strength of schedule for all 32 teams, and the Jags’ 2021 opponents registered a .506 win percentage (129-126-1). That figure gave them a strength of schedule that ranks 11th in the NFL.
When looking at the AFC South as a whole, only one of the Jags’ divisional rivals had a harder strength of schedule, and that was the Houston Texans, who were ranked one spot higher (No. 10) with their opponents being 132-124-0 (.516). Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans (126-130-0, .492) were tied at No. 19 with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Indianapolis Colts (118-136-2, .465) were tied at No. 28 with the New York Giants.
The Jags registering a tougher SOS figure isn’t the slightest bit surprising when considering they play the NFC West and AFC East in 2021. The NFC West sent two teams into the playoffs (Rams and Seahawks) while the 8-8 Arizona Cardinals were close to a postseason berth. The San Francisco 49ers could’ve been in the mix, too, had they not been hit hard by injuries.
As for the AFC East, they almost sent two teams to the postseason. The division winner, the Buffalo Bills, have made it to the conference championship today and could end up playing in the Super Bowl with a win against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Miami Dolphins, who defeated the Jags in 2020, registered a 10-6 record but just missed the postseason.
Clearly, we’re in the early stages of the offseason, which means it’s simply hard to come up with a prediction for the Jags record-wise. However, what is clear is that they could have a tough road ahead if they don’t make significant improvements to the roster this offseason.