Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Full Jacksonville Game Preview
The Jacksonville Jaguars will look to put their Week 1 loss behind them with the Miami Dolphins coming to Jacksonville in Week 2. Losing 20-9 to the Carolina Panthers in a discouraging fashion isn't how the Jaguars wanted to start, but they can recover with a Week 2 win against the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have a very solid, relatively proven team and it won't be an easy game by any means. However, they showed last week in their 17-10 win over the Washington Redskins that they make mistakes and that should open some opportunities for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars need a good performance even more so than a win. The Dolphins will be tough to beat, and it's important the Jaguars show a more composed and competitive performance for four quarters next week.
The Jaguars need to go into this game with a clear and focused mindset. They didn't start the season well, but having a second home game against a solid opponent should be a chance to prove themselves rather than a clamor for recovery.
Location: Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Time: 4:05 ET
TV: CBS(Local)
Week 1 Results and Recap
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Week 1, to put it simply, did not go according to plan. The opening game against a less-than-100 percent Panthers team was supposed to see a solid, never-in-doubt win at best and a close, respectable loss at worst.
Instead, the Jacksonville Jaguars fell apart at the seams in the second half and could not come back from quarterback Blake Bortles' pick-six. It helped put the Panthers up by one score, 17-9, and not out of reach, but the Jaguars offense struggled mightily in the second half.
There were a few positives such as the general play of the defense and rookie T.J. Yeldon's moments of promise, but it certainly wasn't the performance the team or the fans expected.
The Jaguars will look to put the struggles from the opening week behind them, and they should. Bortles and the squad need to look at this game as a new opportunity, and that'll hopefully translate to a solid performance.
News and Notes
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Offensive Line + T.J. Yeldon = Yards
Yeldon's 51 yards on 12 carries was an impressive debut for the rookie out of Alabama, and the only complaint would be that he didn't see the ball more.
Yeldon broke off runs of 14, 11 and 12 yards against the Panthers, largely due to smart footwork and good vision to break through to the second level. The Panthers' secondary didn't allow him to get much more, but it was a good performance all the same.
The Dolphins are a solid defensive squad, but seem to be better against the pass than the run. The Jaguars have to play to the Dolphins' weaknesses, and that means Yeldon should see the ball even more in Week 2.
Bortles Takes Blame for Poor Offensive Showing, Testifies How Hard Play-Calling Is
In a Wednesday press conference, Bortles backed offensive coordinator Greg Olson and tried to elaborate how difficult play-calling can be, as reported by ESPN's Mike DiRocco:
"I think it’s unbelievably hard. For me it would be a lot of all-gos. [Deep routes] would probably be the easiest call and you can do a lot of things off of that. I think Oly [Olson] is unbelievable. I think the plan and preparation throughout the week that he puts together is perfect. It allows us to exploit what our mismatches are and how we can get into certain areas. I couldn’t imagine calling a game.
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Olson won't draw any major criticism through one game, although the Jaguars' decision to stray from the run in the second half is a little bewildering. It's important to have a good relationship between QB and OC, and that appears to be the case with Bortles and Olson.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| Thurston Armbrister | LB | Back |
| Andre Branch | DE | Knee |
| Aaron Colvin | CB | Shoulder |
| Johnathan Cyprien | SS | Finger |
| Josh Evans | SS | Illness |
| Toby Gerhart | RB | Abdomen |
| Dwayne Gratz | CB | Ankle |
| Rashad Greene | WR | Back |
| Luke Joeckel | OT | Ankle |
| Marqise Lee | WR | Hamstring |
| Sen'Derrick Marks | DT | Knee |
| Allen Robinson | WR | Knee |
| Julius Thomas | TE | Hand |
| T.J. Yeldon | RB | Knee |
It's quite a long list of injured players, but most of them aren't too severe. A few other players are on their way back, such as defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and WR Marqise Lee, who could possibly play this weekend after missing the preseason and Week 1.
Defensive end Andre Branch, tight end Julius Thomas and RB Toby Gerhart are the most likely players to miss this weekend's game, but everyone else could potentially see playing time in some form.
The Jaguars have caught an injury bug, but they can be relieved that the injuries are not as severe as they could be. The Jaguars need every man on the 53-man roster, and they'll go into Week 2 thankful that they have most of the squad.
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Key Matchups
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Allen Robinson, Jaguars WR Group vs. Miami Secondary
Robinson, WR Allen Hurns, WR Rashad Greene, TE Marcedes Lewis and, possibly, Lee, will take on a secondary slightly worse than the Panthers' defense. They need to put a rough start behind them and take this secondary head-on.
The drops have been unacceptable. Sometimes drops can be attributed to a stout defense with hitting power, but the Panthers and the various preseason opponents certainly weren't that. There's no explanation for a widespread issue with drops. They have to grow past it in Week 2.
There's a chance to strike playing against the Dolphins, especially if Bortles can play like he did in the preseason and in the first half of the Panthers game. There won't be a much-better opportunity for the WRs to recover; therefore, they have to take advantage of it.
Jaguars Offensive Line vs. Stout Miami Defensive Front
DE Cameron Wake and DT Ndamukong Suh are two of the NFL's most dynamic defensive linemen, and the Jaguars' offensive line will have to do its best to contain them to ensure offensive success on Sunday.
Tackle Luke Joeckel's ankle injury from last week hasn't been resolved, and if he plays, the job will be much easier. However, it's a real possibility that the Jaguars will have to start T Sam Young, who didn't impress when coming in for Joeckel last week.
The Jaguars' offensive line put in a solid performance last week, playing decently well against the pass rush and creating holes for the run offense. It has a much-tougher test this week, but it's crucial it holds its own to allow the offense the space it needs.
X-Factor: Dan Skuta
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Linebacker Dan Skuta was an interesting free-agent signing when the Jaguars added him this offseason. He had a spectacular season with the San Francisco 49ers, and the Jaguars recognized him as a solid fit for their strong-outside linebacker "Otto" position.
He didn't disappoint in his opening game, either. He totaled six tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a pass defended. With a very impressive performance, he seemed to fit right in to the scheme as the Jaguars hoped.
It's not necessarily fair to expect those numbers every week, but Skuta getting off to such a good start definitely offers hope that he could be a consistent playmaker. He's tenacious and has a knack for being in the right place to make plays.
Matching up with LB Paul Posluszny and LB Telvin Smith and embracing his role was crucial to a good start as well. He seems like a great addition, and he could have another stellar performance in Week 2.
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Jaguars 17
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The Jaguars have another winnable game this week, but it seems Miami's newly added talent and the Jaguars lack of healthy, vertical playmakers will be their downfall in Week 2.
Lee's status for Sunday is up in the air, Thomas won't be available and that means the Jaguars are severely limited downfield. Hurns is occasionally a long-range option, but it's not his specific skill set.
Miami's Suh is going to wreak havoc. It's just what he does, and it doesn't seem possible that the interior combo of guards Zane Beadles, Brandon Linder and center Stefen Wisniewski will be enough to completely stop him.
The Jaguars can win this game, but they'll need to show the competitiveness and competency they showed in the first half of last week for a full four quarters. It won't be easy, but there's no reason the Jaguars shouldn't be in this game for four quarters.
Prediction: Dolphins 24, Jaguars 17
Injury report courtesy of the team's official website.
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