Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: What Are Experts Saying About Miami?
The Miami Dolphins got plenty of people talking after their dominating Week 7 road victory over the Chicago Bears.
The Dolphins jumped ahead early and never looked back, controlling every facet of the game as they were able to get back to .500.
However, they now have the task of accomplishing something they haven't done all season, which is to develop some consistency and earn back-to-back victories.
To do that they will have to earn another road win, this time against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars who are coming off their first win of the season—a 24-6 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns.
While the Jaguars do represent some challenges, there's no question the Dolphins should come out on top.
With that said, let's take a look around the country to see what some of the experts are saying about this Florida matchup.
Alain Poupart: Mike Wallace Finding a Home in the End Zone
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When comparing Mike Wallace's performance from 2013 to 2014, there are a lot of similarities.
In fact, according to Pro Football Reference, Wallace is averaging nearly the exact same receptions per game (5.0) and yards per game (59.8) as he did last season (4.6; 58.1).
However, as Alain Poupart of MiamiDolphins.com points out, the major difference is that he is finding the end zone on a much more regular basis:
"Wallace sure has been getting touchdowns in different ways so far this season, and he’s been getting them on a consistent basis.
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With five touchdowns in the first six games, Wallace already has matched his total for all of 2013. He is well on his way to becoming the first Dolphins player to reach double digits in receiving touchdowns since 2005 when wide receiver Chris Chambers finished with 11 on his way to the Pro Bowl.
Going back to last season, Wallace has touchdowns in six of the Dolphins’ last seven regular season games, the best stretch for a Miami receiver since Mark Clayton did it all the way back in 1984.
Wallace, who is typically viewed as a deep threat, has scored all five of his touchdowns in the red zone this year, with touchdown catches of 14, seven, 13, five and 10 yards.
Obviously Ryan Tannehill hopes he can connect with Wallace on a few more of those deep passes he is known for, but in the meantime, it's good to see Wallace becoming more of a well-rounded receiver the team can count on all over the field.
Omar Kelly: Dolphins Finally Utilizing Ryan Tannehill's Athleticism
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One of the biggest complaints of the Dolphins offense last season under Mike Sherman was that he wasn't properly taking advantage of the strengths of Tannehill.
An above-average athlete for a quarterback, Tannehill was typically left playing under center or in the shotgun, rarely ever rolling out of the pocket or running read-option plays.
However, things have changed under new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, and it has brought great success—for both Tannehill and the rest of the Dolphins offense.
Omar Kelly discussed that very topic this week for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
"Tannehill actually has comparable speed and agility numbers to Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson when they were coming out of the 2012 NFL Draft. He caught 112 passes for 1,596 yards and scored 10 touchdowns during his two-plus seasons as a receiver for the Aggies, which proves he can move, and isn't scared of being hit. But the Miami Dolphins hadn't effectively, or consistency utilized his athleticism until recently.
Since the Oakland game — where he rushed for 35 yards on five carries — the Dolphins' third-year starter has been executing more keepers on the QB-read options, which are a staple in Miami's spread offense.
But that's not the only way Miami has been utilizing Tannehill's legs and athleticism lately. The Dolphins have recently infused more play-action and roll out plays into the offense, putting the 2012 first-round pick on the move more than normal, taking him back to his college days.
The alterations have helped Tannehill boost his passer rating to 87.8, and contributed to the Dolphins averaging 136.3 rushing yards, which is the fourth highest average in the NFL.
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There's no arguing that Tannehill has looked like a different player since Week 4, and he has continued that trend over the past two weeks against even better competition.
The biggest reason for that is Lazor's scheme, which is maximizing the third-year quarterback's strengths and masking his weaknesses.
James Walker: Dolphins Defense Must Beware of Denard Robinson
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It's safe to say that the Jaguars are not a team that is loaded with offensive firepower.
Their rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has a knack for turning the ball over—throwing 10 interceptions in five games while throwing at least two picks four different times—while their receiving corps may be one of the worst in the league.
However, the one player the Dolphins will have to watch out for is Denard Robinson, as ESPN's James Walker mentions:
"To the Miami Dolphins, Denard Robinson is the dynamic player their defense must be wary of when they travel to face the 1-6 Jaguars.
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Jacksonville, for the first time in Robinson's career, gave the versatile player 22 carries at running back, and he produced a career-high 127 rushing yards and a touchdown in an upset win over the Browns.
Robinson looked the part of an NFL running back last week. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry against Cleveland and grinded out those yards. Robinson’s longest rush was for 20 yards.
Robinson is one of the few offensive players who can break open the game for the Jaguars. Look for Miami’s defense to key on Robinson and potentially stack the box more than usual with a rookie quarterback under center.
Robinson appears to be the one player on the Jacksonville offense that is capable of scoring every time he touches the ball.
As Walker points out, the Dolphins would be wise to focus first on stopping Robinson and then on stopping a Jaguars passing attack that is ranked just 30th in the league.
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Mike DiRocco: Jaguars Defense in Trouble Without Paul Posluszny
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Despite the Jaguars winning last week, it wasn't all good for them, as they suffered a major loss on defense with Paul Posluszny tearing his pectoral muscle.
The veteran linebacker and team captain was placed in injured reserve and will be out for the rest of the season, per Jaguars.com's John Oehser.
As ESPN's Mike DiRocco says, the loss of Posluszny is devastating for the Jaguars, both on and off the field:
"[The loss of middle linebacker Posluszny for the rest of the season is] huge and it goes beyond what he does on the field. Posluszny has his limitations in pass coverage, but he's a fantastic two-down linebacker.
He's a tackling machine, one of the team's leaders, one of the team's smartest players, is responsible for calling the defensive plays and is the Jaguars' best defensive player. There's no way the Jaguars will be able to replace his production or leadership, especially since they're going to be relying on players who have mainly contributed on special teams (J.T. Thomas and LaRoy Reynolds).
Though the Jaguars' defensive line has played pretty well, not having Posluszny makes the run defense considerably weaker -- not good since the Dolphins are fourth in the NFL in rushing.
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Replacing Posluszny will be a major task for the Jaguars as they game-plan to stop a Miami offense that has been playing extremely well the past few weeks.
The Dolphins would be wise to take advantage of this, pounding the ball with Lamar Miller as they look to attack a weakened linebacker corps.
Adam Beasley: Ryan Tannehill Has Thrived in Wake of QB 'Controversy'
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When it comes to Tannehill, the No. 1 concern has been his lack of consistency. One game he looks like a franchise quarterback, and the next he looks like a guy that doesn't even deserve a starting job.
Consistently good play from week-to-week—or even from half-to-half—has been a problem throughout his career. However, Tannehill has been on a tear over the past three games and looks like the light has finally come on for him in Lazor's offense.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald says that it was an interesting coincidence that Tannehill's improved play came directly after Joe Philbin refused to name him as the starting quarterback:
"Even a decade ago, Ryan Tannehill’s 2014 U-turn would have one prevailing explanation: Joe Philbin lit a fire under his quarterback’s backside.
See, Tannehill was simply off through the first three weeks of the season. He was on pace to set career lows in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating. Fans were turning.
Then Philbin threw gasoline on a simmering situation by refusing, again and again, to name him the starter ahead of the Oakland game. Tannehill took it to heart, calling it the “most challenging” week of his career.
And then he went out and shredded the Raiders, Packers and Bears in the span of a month. Since the quarterback 'controversy,' Tannehill has completed 72 percent of his passes for 799 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating for the season is now over 85 — and climbing.
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As Beasley mentions, Tannehill is playing some of the best football of his career, and it has far more to do with the game plan and play-calling of Lazor than it does because of Philbin's supposed motivational techniques.
With that said, the jury is still out on Tannehill as the franchise quarterback, as the third-year player still needs to continue his recent play to show he can be a consistently reliable player the Dolphins can count on week in and week out.
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