I laid all my current season win-loss projections, strength/weakness of teams, weather notes about the schedule, the history of in-conference games, teams/coaches coming off BYE weeks and solo night games, and estimated travel between games, etc., and dumped that all in my AI Frankenstein writer creation ‘AI-McGillidcuddy1’ and then asked him to give an NFL analyst take on each team’s schedule, using my data (not the NFLs), and using his created personality to do it.
I’m doing team-by-team each day of June, except two will post day one...and the strength of schedule rankings will rank one-at-a-time on RC Note’s every morning as well. ARI and ATL gets us started June 1st.
Here is unedited AI analysis of my schedule data from AI-McGillidcuddy1. Enjoy...
(by AI_McGillicuddy1)
Final Weighted Number
The Jacksonville Jaguars' True Weighted Strength of Schedule calculates out to a final percentage of 52.1% (0.521008).
The McGillicuddy Comprehensive Take on the Jaguars' True 2026 Schedule
When you look at how this calendar is physically mapped out, it sits at a 52.1% baseline. That pushes Jacksonville straight into a hard schedule tier. There is absolutely no hiding from the density of this layout. Our system looks at this Jacksonville squad and views them as a highly capable, competitive roster, but when a team has to navigate a calendar this heavily front-loaded with brutal logistics, their depth and coaching staff are going to be tested to the absolute limit.
Phase 1: Weeks 1–6
The opening six weeks are an absolute logistical and physical marathon. They open up at home against Cleveland, hit the road to the altitude of Denver, return home to host New England, and then travel to Cincinnati. Then, the schedule-makers hand them another wild international assignment: back-to-back games in London, England. They play a "home" game against Philadelphia at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 5, stay in the UK for the week, and play another "home" game against Houston at Wembley Stadium in Week 6.
This opening block is an absolute gauntlet. Facing five projected playoff contenders (Denver, New England, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Houston) in the first six weeks is hard enough. Forcing this team to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to play two massive physical matchups before they ever reach their bye week means they will be burning immense amounts of mental and physical energy right out of the gate.
Week 1: vs. Cleveland Browns, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL), Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 2: at Denver Broncos, Empower Field at Mile High (Denver, CO), Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4:05 PM EDT
Week 3: vs. New England Patriots, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL), Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals, Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati, OH), Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 PM EDT
Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London, UK) — International Game 1, Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 AM EDT
Week 6: vs. Houston Texans, Wembley Stadium (London, UK) — International Game 2, Sunday, Oct. 18 at 9:30 AM EDT
Phase 2: Weeks 7–13
The Jaguars finally get to breathe with a desperately needed Week 7 bye to recover from their extended London trip. Once they return to the States, they enter a grinding middle stretch. They host Indianapolis, hit the road for a short-week Thursday Night Football battle in Baltimore, and then pack their bags for a grueling three-game road trip. They travel to Tennessee, head up to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, and return home briefly to host Tennessee again, before traveling to the freezing cold at Soldier Field to face Chicago in December.
According to our internal data on opponent quality, this is where Jacksonville must grind out their positioning. They get a break facing a few struggling rosters like the Giants and the Titans, but navigating a three-game road stretch right in the middle of November is a massive operational hurdle. If they want to survive this schedule, they absolutely must take care of business during this block before the final stretch.
Week 7: BYE WEEK — No Game, No Venue, No Time
Week 8: vs. Indianapolis Colts, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL), Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 9: at Baltimore Ravens, M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, MD) — Thursday Night Football, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 8:15 PM EST
Week 10: at Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium (Nashville, TN) — Three-Game Road Trip (Game 1), Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 11: at New York Giants, MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) — Three-Game Road Trip (Game 2), Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL), Sunday, Nov. 29 at 4:05 PM EST
Phase 3: Weeks 14–18
The final block of the regular season is incredibly unforgiving. They host Pittsburgh on a massive Monday Night Football showcase but then hit the road for three of their final four games. They travel to Houston, travel to Dallas, return home for their regular-season home finale against Washington, and finish the year on the road at Indianapolis. Having to close out the year constantly living out of a suitcase against high-powered division rivals means nothing will come easy.
Week 13: at Chicago Bears, Soldier Field (Chicago, IL) — Winter Outdoor Game, Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 14: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL) — Monday Night Football, Monday, Dec. 14 at 8:15 PM EST
Week 15: at Houston Texans, NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) — Dome Game, Sunday, Dec. 20 at 1:00 PM EST
Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) — Sunday Night Football / Dome Game, Sunday, Dec. 27 at 8:20 PM EST
Week 17: vs. Washington Commanders, EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, FL), Sunday, Jan. 3 (Time TBD)
Week 18: at Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN) — Dome Game Season Finale, Sunday, Jan. 10 (Time TBD)
Weather Factoids, Travel Logistics & Dome Tallies
Let’s look at the operational environments, because the elements play a massive role here. The Jaguars play a total of 3 dome/controlled-roof games this season, and all of them are packed into the final month:
- Week 15 at Houston (NRG Stadium)
- Week 16 at Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
- Week 18 at Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium)
The overwhelming headline of this schedule is the insane travel logistics. The Jaguars completely lose two of their true home games to London. Furthermore, they are hit with a brutal three-game road trip (Weeks 9-11) and have to finish the year playing three of their final four games away from EverBank Stadium.
As for the late-season elements? Jacksonville actually dodges the worst of the deep freeze. Their only true winter outdoor exposure happens in Week 13 when they travel to Chicago, and Week 14 when they host Pittsburgh at home. Because they spend the final month of the season playing their road games indoors at Houston, Dallas, and Indy, they are completely insulated from any January snowstorms. It is a wildly unbalanced, logistically exhausting schedule, but a resilient Jaguars team has the talent to weather the storm if they can survive that brutal opening month.
Our new: 'Two Scouts Talking' YouTube video show is now launched with the first three videos/episodes posted. FYI
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