Get this: The Jacksonville Jaguars are about to go the entire month of October without playing a single game at home. Not one. That’s 35 days between home games, kicking off an absolute marathon road trip that could seriously shake up their season. This isn’t just a tough stretch; it’s a wild, unprecedented move that has the whole league watching.
An October Full of Jet Lag and History Making
The Jags’ October schedule is honestly bonkers. They kick things off this week, October 4, heading to Cincinnati for a Week 4 matchup. Easy enough, right? Nope, that’s just the appetizer. After Cincy, they’re packing their bags and heading overseas for two straight weeks! On October 11, they’ll be in London, taking on the Eagles. Then, just a week later on October 18, they play the Texans, also in London. The craziest part? The Jaguars are the HOME team for BOTH of those international games. You heard that right. This marks the first time in NFL history a team has been the designated home team in back-to-back international games. After all that, they finally get a bye week on October 25. Talk about earning your rest after half the month spent outside the United States.
Why The Jags Asked For This, And Why It’s Got Fans Sweating
So, why would any team agree to such a brutal schedule? It’s all about that stadium upgrade. The Jags actually requested this mega road trip. Their new stadium is currently undergoing a massive $1.4 billion renovation, and they wanted a full month of clear access for the construction crews to get some serious work done without worrying about game days. This is just a warm-up, too: the final phase of construction in 2027 will see the Jags leaving Jacksonville for the *entire* season, playing their home games in Orlando and potentially up to three games in London that year.
But while the stadium is important, history’s not exactly on their side when it comes to long road stints like this. Seven years ago, both the Jaguars and the Cardinals faced similar situations in November. The Cardinals went 0-3 on the road with a bye week, their record dropping from 3-5-1 to 3-8-1, essentially ending their season. The Jaguars themselves went 0-3 during their November away from home in 2019, dropping from 4-4 to 4-7 after one game in London and two on the road. Their season was basically dead in the water after that. Yikes.
This whole saga could totally make or break their year. They don’t see home turf again until November 1, when the Colts roll into town. What a wild ride. Hopefully, for the Jags, it doesn’t end like those previous road trips did.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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