The Jacksonville Jaguars get a week off, although their 34-31 loss to the Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium means they probably prefer to head into the bye with some peace of mind. At 4-2, Jacksonville remains firmly in the AFC South picture, but the Texans just reminded everyone that this division race is unlikely to be a relaxing experience.
With no Jaguars game to watch this weekend, fans can turn their attention to the rest of the NFL and hope Jacksonville gets some results. The priorities are straightforward: keep AFC South rivals in check, avoid giving potential Wild Card competitors unnecessary help, and generally cheer on the NFC when an AFC team is on the other side of the field.
Here’s your Week 7 rooting guide, matchup by matchup. It’s up to you, Jaguars fans.
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears (Thursday Night Football)
The Patriots enter Week 7 at 4-2, putting them in the mix for the AFC East title and a potential Wild Card spot. With Jacksonville holding the same record, there is little reason to help New England improve its position. The Bears are also 4-2, but an NFC victory is the better outcome for the Jaguars. Chicago can celebrate all it wants; Jacksonville will happily take the Patriots loss as a small win of its own.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints (Paris, France)
Root for: New Orleans Saints
The Steelers are another 4-2 AFC team that Jacksonville could contend with for playoff positioning next season. Pittsburgh is off to a strong start, and the last thing the Jaguars need is for that momentum to continue building. New Orleans has had its own struggles, but this is a straightforward root of interest: give the Saints a reason to celebrate in Paris and send the Steelers home with a loss. If the French crowd can help deliver a little excitement, all the better.
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons
Root for: Atlanta Falcons
This one is less about a direct rival with Jacksonville and more about taking advantage of an NFC-versus-NFC matchup. San Francisco is undefeated at 6-0 and looks to be one of the NFC’s top contenders, while Atlanta has had a rougher start. Neither outcome directly changes the Jaguars’ AFC status, so this is a chance to root for the underdog and see if the Falcons can break the 49ers’ perfect record. Jacksonville fans can enjoy the spectacle without worrying about an AFC rival getting stronger.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Root for: Cincinnati Bengals
It was one of the trickier games of the weekend because both teams were AFC contenders, and someone had to take the victory. Baltimore is 4-2, while Cincinnati is also firmly in the playoff conversation. A Bengals win would hand the Ravens a damaging loss and potentially tighten the race among the AFC Wild Card hopefuls. Neither team is a perfect winner from Jacksonville’s perspective, but if we have to pick one, let’s see Baltimore stumble. The Jaguars have enough to worry about in their own division without the Ravens making life difficult elsewhere.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers
Root for: Carolina Panthers
This one is a bit more complicated than simply backing up the NFC team, as there may be a Jacksonville angle worth watching if things continue to unravel in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have stumbled to a 1-5 start, putting Todd Bowles under increasing pressure, and if the organization decides to make a change, it could look to a familiar face from Liam Coen’s coaching staff. Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has emerged as a potential candidate for the job, and Tampa Bay could be tempted to try to poach another of Jacksonville’s emerging offensive minds. A Panthers win would put additional pressure on the Buccaneers and potentially make the coaching conversation more interesting. Jacksonville fans should be rooting for Carolina here, because the last thing the Jaguars need is an NFC South rival getting ideas about raiding their coaching staff.
New York Giants at Houston Texans
Root for: New York Giants
Here’s one of the biggest games of the weekend for Jaguars fans, even if the matchup itself might not immediately jump off the page. Houston just beat Jacksonville at Wembley, cutting into the Jaguars’ lead in the AFC South. The Texans are 2-4, so the Jags currently enjoy the lead, but their head-to-head success makes them a more dangerous opponent than their record suggests. A Giants win would keep Houston from building a winning streak and give Jacksonville some breathing room as it rests. If the Texans can lose every remaining game without affecting Jacksonville’s own schedule, that would be nice too.
Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings
Root for: Minnesota Vikings
The Colts are another rival in the AFC South, which makes this one simple. Indianapolis is 2-4 and has already lost the division, but Jacksonville shouldn’t give it a chance to recover. Minnesota is undefeated at 5-0 and has been one of the NFL’s strongest teams, so the Vikings are well positioned to take care of business at home. A Colts loss would keep the Jaguars well behind and take some stress off the division race. The departure of Indy’s GM Chris Ballard this week adds a little intrigue, but is largely irrelevant to Jags fans. No need to overthink this one: Skol, Vikings.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
Neither AFC East team has gotten off to a convincing start, but the Jets have two wins compared to Miami’s winless record. That makes New York a more immediate concern if it can start stringing together victories. A Dolphins win would hand the Jets another loss and help keep them from being a factor in the AFC Wild Card race. Yes, rooting for a winless team can feel weird, but this is a bye week rooting guide, not a popularity contest. If Miami can finally do something, Jacksonville will welcome the collateral benefit.
Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans
Root for: Cleveland Browns
This is another non-negotiable. Tennessee is 1-5, but the Titans are still a divisional rival, and Jacksonville needs to stop them. Cleveland is 4-2 and could be a threat in the AFC Wild Card race, so it’s not an entirely comfortable choice. However, the Browns are the better team to come back here because a Titans loss is directly beneficial to Jacksonville’s chances of winning the AFC South. The Jaguars can’t afford to ignore the divisional games, even when their rivals are struggling. And let’s be honest – who doesn’t enjoy the misery coming from Tennessee right now?
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals
Root for: Arizona Cardinals
Denver is 4-2 and another potential contender for an AFC playoff berth, so Jacksonville will benefit from seeing the Broncos lose. Arizona has struggled in the NFC West, but that’s not Jacksonville’s problem. The Cardinals have a chance to deliver a worthwhile upset, and the Jaguars will be cheering them on from the sofa. If Arizona can do this, Jacksonville will get the result it wants without having to do anything more difficult than opening a bag of snacks. Oh, and Larry Fitz got his jersey off too – what’s not to love?
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
This is a battle in the NFC North, so neither result will directly affect Jacksonville’s position in the AFC. Green Bay is 4-2, while Detroit is also in the hunt in the NFC. We’ll lean on the Lions, hoping they can knock off the Packers and make the NFC North race more competitive. There’s no need for Jaguars fans to be experts on NFC tiebreakers this weekend; the main objective is to achieve a schedule with as many favorable AFC results as possible.
Los Angeles Rams at Las Vegas Raiders
Root for: Los Angeles Rams
The Raiders are 3-3 and could still emerge as a factor in the AFC playoff race, making the loss worthwhile for Jacksonville. The Rams have struggled in the NFC West, but they are the favored team here simply because they play in the other conference. A win in Los Angeles would push Las Vegas to the bottom of the AFC standings and help preserve another potential Wild Card challenger. This isn’t a game that will define Jacksonville’s season, but a Raiders loss is definitely better than a Raiders win.
Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday Night Football)
Root for: Seattle Seahawks
The Chiefs are undefeated at 5-0 and currently sit among the AFC’s top contenders. Kansas City is a team Jacksonville may need to navigate its way into the playoff picture, and there’s no particular reason to help it maintain its perfect record. Seattle is 3-3 and would benefit from a win in the NFC, while a loss to the Chiefs would be a welcome development for the AFC race. The Seahawks have a chance to make a statement Sunday night, and Jaguars fans should hope they do exactly that. KC is starting to look more like the 2018 version than recent iterations; a darkening cloud on the horizon for any potential postseason matchup.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday Night Football)
We end the week with an NFC East rivalry, and there’s a reasonable case for both sides. Philadelphia is 2-4 after losing to Jacksonville in London and then falling to Carolina, while Dallas is also 2-4 following its loss to Green Bay. The Eagles’ struggles are particularly relevant because Jacksonville already has a head-to-head win on its resume, and a victory in Philadelphia would help boost its value. Still, we’ll lean on Dallas here, hoping the Cowboys can push Philadelphia further down the NFC East standings. It wasn’t the most important game for Jacksonville, but there was something satisfying about the end of the weekend watching Nick Sirianni’s outrageous level of self-confidence.