Jacksonville Jaguars 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

The Jacksonville Jaguars are rebuilding in 2020, but these five games represent games that Doug Marrone has to win if he wants to have a job next season.

The 2020 NFL season should be a long one for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are in the midst of a lengthy rebuilding project. The core of the squad that advanced to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 has been gutted, leaving Gardner Minshew in charge of a team that may struggle to win more than a handful of games.

While it is clear that Jacksonville is looking to the future, head coach Doug Marrone needs wins now to save his job for 2021. Marrone got a reprieve this offseason when Shad Kahn fired Tom Coughlin instead, but he will need to produce some results to justify an additional display of faith from the Jaguars’ owner.

The good news for Marrone is that there are plenty of winnable games on Jacksonville’s schedule, which should give him some opportunities to achieve a measure of success. Let’s take a look at five of those games Marrone and the Jaguars should consider “must-win,” beginning with the Cincinnati Bengals.

5. At Cincinnati Bengals

The worst team in the NFL in 2019 was the Cincinnati Bengals, who went just 1-15 to earn the top pick in the NFL Draft. The Bengals are expected to use that pick on Joe Burrow, meaning they will play the year with a rookie quarterback.

The Jaguars and Bengals are very similar in terms of ability, so it is imperative that Jacksonville finds a way to take care of business in this game. If Burrow is able to beat the Jaguars in his rookie year it could be a sign of a truly long year.