The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't just beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday—they dismantled them. A 34-10 blowout that was over by halftime, with Trevor Lawrence looking every bit the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be. But if you tuned into the NFL's Week 2 schedule, you'd think the Jags were an afterthought.
Despite being one of only three matchups this weekend featuring two 2025 playoff teams—alongside Lions-Bills and Steelers-Patriots—the Jaguars' clash with the Denver Broncos is being treated like a B-list affair. As ProFootballTalk noted, the CBS broadcast is region-locked, while the marquee late-afternoon slot goes to the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys. You know, the team that went 4-13 last year and the team that's been a ratings magnet for decades.
It's a familiar sting for a franchise that can't seem to buy respect. Last season, Jacksonville went 13-4 under first-year head coach Liam Coen, finishing in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Lawrence threw four touchdowns against Cleveland, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards. This isn't a fluke—it's a trend.
Yet the NFL's schedule makers have given the Jaguars just three primetime games all season, and only one before December. By the time the calendar flips to November, Jacksonville fans will have seen their team under the lights exactly once. For a team that's supposed to be ascending, that's a glaring lack of faith.
And it gets worse. The Jags play at EverBank Stadium just one more time before November, thanks to two home games being shipped off to London. That means the league's decision to bury their broadcasts isn't just a scheduling quirk—it's a statement. As the recent draft-pick swap involving Quinn Ewers shows, the Jaguars are making moves, but the NFL isn't giving them the spotlight to prove it.
This isn't the first time a team has felt slighted by the schedule. Just ask Baker Mayfield, who's feeling disrespected in Tampa Bay, or the SEC coaches who've cried foul over the Big Ten's schedule. But for the Jaguars, the pattern is hard to ignore.
If Jacksonville keeps winning, the NFL might regret hiding them. Fans want to see good football, and the Jags are serving it. But with limited primetime slots and regional blackouts, casual viewers might miss the rise of one of the AFC's most dangerous teams. By midseason, the league could be scrambling to adjust—but by then, the damage will be done.
For now, Jaguars fans will have to find a way to watch their team take on the Broncos on Sunday. It's a game that deserves a national audience, but the NFL seems content to keep it under wraps. Maybe that's the ultimate disrespect: treating a contender like a regional secret.
