Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Complete Week 8 Preview for the Jaguars

In their Week 8 matchup the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6) will host the Miami Dolphins (3-3) at EverBank Field.

While the Jaguars should be energized after coming off their first win of the season, they better have their A-game if they want to pull the upset against a quietly tough Dolphins team.

The Dolphins come into this game with the league’s fourth-ranked defense in yards allowed. Led by linebacker Jelani Jenkins, this is a swarming bunch that can get to an opponent’s quarterback effectively.

Despite stepping up last week, the Jaguars offense still ranks 32nd in scoring offense (15.0 points per game) and 27th in scoring defense (27.3 points per game).

The Jaguars have struggled against speed receivers all season. If they want to win this game they'll need their young secondary to limit the impact of the Dolphins’ receivers.

Week 7 Recap

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

What a feeling of relief the Jaguars’ players must have after earning their first win of the season by defeating the Cleveland Browns 24-6.

The biggest story of the game was the breakout performance of running back Denard Robinson. Robinson received his first start of the season and turned it into a 127-yard, one touchdown performance.

Robinson’s effort was a huge lift to a team that was averaging under 70 yards per game on the ground headed into Week 7. Moreover, Robinson was huge in covering the glaring offensive mistakes made by quarterback Blake Bortles (three interceptions).

Defensively it was a fantastic effort by a team that was allowing 27.3 points per game. Telvin Smith, who amassed four tackles, one interception and one forced fumble, was a big reason for the defense's success. Smith’s effort earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors by the NFL.

Overall, it was a great 60-minute performance by the Jaguars. If the team can put together more efforts like this it'll have a shot to add to that win total this season.

News and Notes

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Jaguars Hurting at Cornerback

The Jaguars defense is hurting all around, and now CBS Miami is reporting the Jaguars could be without two of their top corners.

Cornerbacks Alan Ball (biceps) and Dwayne Gratz (hip) are both battling injury and are both key players on this defense. If both are unavailable Sunday Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace could have a field day.

Paul Posluszny Out for Season

Michael Hurcomb of CBSSports.com is reporting that Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny is out for the season after tearing his pectoral muscle.

This is a really big blow for a defense that was finally starting to look like it was getting it together. Posluszny is the unquestioned leader of this unit, and his passion and energy looked to be contagious on the field. 

This will provide a great opportunity for J.T. Thomas and Telvin Smith to step up. Both players should get additional playing time and will have the chance to prove to the coaching staff that they can be assets on defense.  

Dolphins Welcome Back Dion Jordan

ESPN.com’s James Walker is reporting that Miami Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan is back with the team after serving a long suspension for violating the NFL’s policies for performance-enhancing drugs and substance abuse.

Jordan has had a bit of a rough start to his career, but as a former first-round draft pick, you can’t discount his talent. Jordan can be a fierce edge-rusher if utilized correctly and poses a threat to any team that overlooks him.

Injury Report

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury	Status
Ball, Alan	CB	Bicep	DNP
Branch, Andre	DE	Groin	DNP
Clemons, Chris	DE	Not Injury Related	DNP
Colvin, Aaron	CB	Knee	DNP
Gratz, Dwayne	CB	Hip Flexor	LP
Hayes, Geno	LB	Not Injury Related	DNP
Miller, Roy	DT	Not Injury Related	DNP

Note: Running back Toby Gerhart, center Luke Bowanko and safety Craig Loston all returned to practice this week as full participants. 

*Injury updates courtesy of Jaguars.com injury report.

Matchups to Watch

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Mike Wallace vs. the Jaguars Secondary

As previously mentioned, it’s up in the air if Alan Ball or Dwayne Gratz will play in this matchup, but I’m not entirely sure it matters. The Jaguars have struggled mightily against speedy receivers, and Mike Wallace is a matchup nightmare.

If the Jaguars hope to contain Mike Wallace they’ll need to do so by shifting a safety to his side consistently. If they don't, I don't see a scenario where the Jaguars come out on top. 

Blake Bortles vs. Brent Grimes and Cortland Finnegan

Blake Bortles is coming off his worst performance of the season and will finally get to show us how resilient he can be. The Dolphins have been tough against the pass, as they’re only allowing 213.3 yards per game, and will give Bortles all he can handle for 60 minutes.

Bortles doesn’t need to be perfect in Week 8, but he has to show some consistency. After a game like the one he had last week, an improved effort this week will say a lot about Bortles’ character and the Jaguars’ chance to win.

X-Factor: Telvin Smith

I don’t list X-factors every week, but I think it would stupid to not mention Telvin Smith here.

Smith plays limited snaps, but when he is on the field he always seems to be around the ball. As evidenced by last week’s interception and forced fumble, good things happen when he's out there. The Jaguars coaches have to find a way to get Smith more involved if they want a chance to win.

Prediction

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

I know there is excitement in Jacksonville after the Jaguars upset the Browns in Week 7, but I don’t think we need to get carried away. The simple truth is that this team is not very good and will only go as far as its developing young talent will take it.

This week, the Jaguars take on a tough Miami Dolphins team that will attack them in a variety of ways. In my opinion, the Dolphins are a substantially better team and should be able to demonstrate that with ease this week.

Prediction: Dolphins 27, Jaguars 17