5 Adjustments Jacksonville Jaguars Must Make in Week 2 Matchup with Miami
The 20-9 opening loss to the Carolina Panthers wasn't how the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to start the season, but dwelling on past losses doesn't get the team anywhere. It's now time to adjust and prepare for the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.
The Dolphins scored 17 unanswered points to secure a comeback 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 1, and they'll be looking to take that win and use it as momentum and a foundation for the game against the Jaguars.
The Jaguars don't have the privilege of hesitation. All cylinders have to be firing going into Week 2 because this season isn't about "getting better," it's about getting results. Head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell aren't close to losing their jobs, but each loss ticks against them.
It's an important game for the Jaguars to bounce back and improve from a rough opening game. The Dolphins are good, but not perfect, and the Jaguars have to exploit their weaknesses and contain their strengths this Sunday.
The Offensive Line Has to Build on a Decent Performance
1 of 5
Jaguars.com's John Oehser's "Day After" piece states the offensive line had a tough first game, and the five sacks on quarterback Blake Bortles are the inconclusive evidence of that.
He might need to look a bit deeper.
In the second half, after the pick-six to go down 17-9, Bortles showed a lack of timing and, for whatever reason, started hanging on to the ball longer than he needed to, something that wasn't a problem in the preseason.
At least three of the sacks are on Bortles, not the offensive line. They let up two sacks, still, but that's not awful. Matched with terrific run blocking that got the Jaguars an average of 4.6 yards a carry, it seems like the offensive line was the best group on the offense.
They are going up against the Dolphins' incredible defensive front this week, including defensive end Cameron Wake and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. It will be a tough test, especially considering starting left tackle Luke Joeckel will be out, as ESPN's Mike DiRocco reported.
It won't be an easy game for the offensive line, but it can perform well enough to at least hang in with the Dolphins' defensive line. It had a solid game Sunday, and it needs to build off that this week.
The Jaguars Need to Focus on the Run
2 of 5
As previously mentioned, the Jaguars averaged a respectable 4.6 yards per carry against the Panthers. Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon had a bright start to his NFL career, and he should see more carries in Week 2.
However, while the Jaguars got what they wanted out of Yeldon and fellow RB Denard Robinson, they strayed away from the run after Bortles' pick-six. That resulted in 21 total carries and a meager total of 96 yards.
Yeldon's 12 carries for 51 yards and Robinson's five carries for 19 yards are both solid for a limited number of carries. Considering Bortles' and the wide receivers' mistakes and lack of composure, it seems inevitable that we'll see more on the ground this Sunday.
Working through the run keeps the defense off the field, and it will allow Bortles to gain back some of that confidence. Easy throws are what Bortles needs Sunday, and a successful run game makes that more attainable.
The Defense Has to Pressure Ryan Tannehill
3 of 5
The Miami Dolphins have a visibly improving QB in Ryan Tannehill. His QB rating has gone from 76.1 in 2012 to 81.7 in 2013 to 92.8 in 2014, mostly thanks to fewer mistakes and more touchdowns.
However, Tannehill still makes mistakes. He's thrown 42 interceptions over the past three years, 12 of which were in 2014. He's a good QB, but he will make bad decisions if he's pressured.
With the potential return of DT Sen'Derrick Marks, as reported by Jaguars.com's John Oehser, the Jaguars will finally have their preferred starting four up top (well, there's still DE Dante Fowler Jr., but that's been out of the equation for a while).
The Jaguars absolutely have to get to Tannehill and hit him, whether it's for a sack or a post-throw hit. It needs to be an onslaught of pressure, and that is a real possibility with Marks back.
The Dolphins have weapons around Tannehill, but if he can't comfortably deliver the ball, they can only do so much. It will be the defensive key and will be a major decider in whether the Jaguars hang with the Dolphins.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Wide Receivers Need to Play to Their Talent
4 of 5
The Jaguars had hoped the consistent drops from the WR group were just preseason blunders, but that was proven to not be the case Sunday. Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Rashad Greene had killer drops, and that can't continue in Week 2.
All three receivers have obvious talent and various abilities to help the Jaguars, but if they can't handle the fundamentals, then it won't matter what they can do with the ball. It's common to see a receiver get in a slump, but a whole group is somewhat unheard of.
Jaguars.com reports that WR Marqise Lee is practicing this week and will hopefully be ready for this weekend. Lee has been hampered by injuries in his Jaguars career, but if he's healthy, he's dangerous.
He extends the field and offers a legitimate vertical attack for Bortles and the Jaguars offense. Having him may open up more chances for Robinson and Hurns, but they still need to bring down their targets.
Should Lee take the field, the Jaguars will get back a much-needed weapon, but that still doesn't mean the rest of the WRs will deliver. They need to make a stand this week and finally get over their drops.
The Secondary Needs to Shut Down Jarvis Landry and Jordan Cameron
5 of 5
Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry is lethal. Unlike the Jaguars' WRs, he seems to bring down anything that's thrown to him and will be the biggest offensive threat the Jaguars secondary will face Sunday.
Along with Landry is TE Jordan Cameron, who traded the Cleveland Browns for South Beach and the Dolphins. Cameron is versatile and is another one of those TEs who is extremely difficult to defend against.
However, the Jaguars shut down Panthers TE Greg Olson to just 11 yards, one of the highlights of the day for the defense. They've got to to do the same with Cameron, although the secondary will have help from the linebackers in that task.
Jaguars cornerbacks Aaron Colvin and Davon House had a decent game, but they have to be performing at the highest of their abilities to shut down Landry. Safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Sergio Brown will also need to be ready to help and make plays on Landry.
It won't be an easy challenge, but the threats are obvious and direct. It starts with pressuring Tannehill, but the secondary needs to match a strong effort by the defensive line to properly contain the Dolphins offense.
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
