The Jaguars' 2008 season is highlighted by three nationally-televised prime-time games on NBC, ESPN and NFL Network. The team will open its 14th regular season on the road at AFC South rival Tennessee on Sept. 7 at one p.m., with their home opener the following week against Buffalo on Sept. 14.
Three of the first four games are against AFC South opponents including two on the road, and three of the first five games are against 2007 playoff teams. The Jaguars schedule features a Sunday night game at home on NBC against Pittsburgh on Oct. 5, a Monday night game on ESPN on Dec. 1 at Houston, and a Thursday night home game against Indianapolis on NFL Network on Dec. 18.
Fourteen of the Jaguars' 16 regular-season games in 2008 will be played on Sundays, with 11 scheduled for one p.m. ET kickoffs and three late-afternoon games. The schedule features four playoff teams from 2007 and six games against playoff teams – Tennessee and Indianapolis twice, as well as Pittsburgh and Green Bay. The Jaguars will have 10 games against teams that finished .500 or better in 2007 and four against division winners, and the three nationally-televised prime-time games are tied for the third-most in team history (four in 1999 and 2000) and the most since 2000.
Jacksonville will open the regular season on the road for the sixth time in club history and for the first time since 2004. The opener against Tennessee marks the seventh time the Jaguars will open a regular season against a divisional opponent and second straight season against Tennessee. The Jaguars have played Tennessee more than any other NFL team (27 games), and the team owns a 9-4 mark (.692 winning percentage in their 13-year history) in opening-day games and have won three of their last four openers.
Buffalo will be the opponent in the Jaguars' home-opener at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Jaguars are 9-4 in their home openers with wins in three of the last four games. The Jaguars play back-to-back division games beginning on Sept. 21 at Indianapolis with kickoff set for 4:15 p.m. The Jaguars host Houston on Sept. 28 at one p.m.
The Jaguars host Pittsburgh on Oct. 5 on NBC's Sunday Night Football in a rematch of last year's AFC wild-card playoff game. The Jaguars have met the Steelers every season since 1995, except in the 2003 season, and the Jaguars have won four consecutive games (including playoffs) against the Steelers, all under head coach Jack Del Rio. The Jaguars travel to Denver for the second consecutive season, as they meet the Broncos on Oct. 12, before observing the bye in week seven. Following the bye week, the Cleveland Browns visit Jacksonville on Oct. 26 for a 4:05 p.m. kickoff.
November begins with back-to-back road games at Cincinnati on Nov. 2 and at Detroit on Nov. 9. It will be the Jaguars' first game at Ford Field and first trip to Detroit since the inaugural season in 1995. The Jaguars finish the month of November with home games against Tennessee on Nov. 16 and Minnesota on the 23rd. It will be the first-ever visit to Jacksonville for the Vikings.
The Jaguars play three road games and two home games in December for the second consecutive season. The Jaguars travel to Houston on Dec. 1 on ESPN's Monday Night Football, the Jaguars' first road Monday night game since 2000 and only the fourth in team history. Following the Texans game, the Jaguars will play back-to-back games against NFC opponents as they visit Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 7, and host Green Bay on Dec. 14. The Jaguars conclude the home portion of their schedule on Thursday, Dec. 18, as they host Indianapolis on NFL Network at 8:15 p.m. It marks the fourth consecutive season the teams will meet in Dec.
A trip to Baltimore on Dec. 28 will conclude the regular season. It will mark the eighth time in club history the Jaguars have concluded the regular season on the road, including eight times in the last nine seasons.
