The Jacksonville Jaguars kick off their regular season with a road trip to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins in a significant early-season game on Sunday.
Both teams enter the 2024 campaign with eyes toward the postseason. Jacksonville is looking to return to the playoffs after squandering a healthy record late in the season while Miami is eyeing a third consecutive trip.
Week 1 does not always offer a clear snapshot of a team’s strengths and weaknesses. However, it will allow the Jaguars to assess theirs against an opponent some consider possible Super Bowl contenders.
Identifying the key battles this weekend is important. With that in mind, here are three matchups the Jaguars must win to pull off a victory in Miami Gardens.
Jacksonville’s defense vs. Miami’s offense
These two units are the strengths of their respective teams and should provide an enticing head-to-head matchup.
The Dolphins have one of the most explosive offenses in the league due to the brilliance of head coach and offensive play-caller Mike McDaniels. He takes after his former coach in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan, with exotic formations, route concepts, shifts and motions that generate chaos and confusion with opposing defenses.
One thing that should comfort Jaguars fans is that Jacksonville has a defense that is more than capable of slowing down the speedy talents of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is one of the few in his position that gets his players to elevate their play while remaining disciplined, as seen in the tremendous growth of Atlanta’s defense under his leadership last year.
While the Jaguars have some depth questions at cornerback, Nielsen has a defensive line capable of generating pressure off four-man rushes alone.
No matter how it’s put, Miami’s offense remains a tough one to tame. The biggest question around this unit is whether it can become more physical up front despite losing guard Robert Hunt in free agency offseason.
Bringing a physical element versus the run and remaining even-keeled against a terrific wide receiver duo will be a significant key in Jacksonville’s hopes of winning this game.
Protecting Trevor Lawrence from the Dolphins’ pass rush
When a team has a franchise quarterback as Jacksonville and Miami do, protecting its star is of utmost importance. Having a capable offensive line is a necessary step in that direction.
The Jaguars’ offensive line looks to be a much more steady group after last season’s debacle. The team signed former Buffalo center Mitch Morse in the offseason, shoring up the middle of their line and giving Trevor Lawrence an added layer of protection.
This offensive line will take on a group that lost two key defensive linemen this offseason, Christian Wilkins and Andrew Van Ginkel. It’s unclear if star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips will be playing at full speed coming off a torn Achilles last season.
Yet, Miami’s defensive front and pass rush still feature a fair amount of talent for Jacksonville to contend with.
The Dolphins will likely deploy first-round selection Chop Robinson in sub-packages as a third-down pass rusher, using his speed and explosiveness to get by the likes of tackles Cam Robinson and Anton Harrison.
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler, meanwhile, could prove to be a handful for guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff.
If the Jaguars can limit the Dolphins’ pressures while adding some creativity to their offensive scheme, their chances of victory will increase.
Trevor Lawrence vs. Tua Tagovailoa
While it’s impossible for quarterbacks to have a legitimate one-on-one matchup, the dual between these two signal callers will be quite intriguing for fans of both teams and those of the wider NFL.
Lawrence and Tagovailoa were on the receiving end of historic contract extensions this offseason, with the former receiving a five-year, $275 million extension and the latter four years, $212.4 million.
Now, the two quarterbacks will go toe-to-toe to showcase why they deserved their top-dollar contracts.
The biggest question with Lawrence entering the season is if he can remain consistent and play to the level that got Jacksonville off to an 8-3 start in 2023.
The former No. 1 overall selection is looking to prove he is still one of the better signal-callers in the game. The former Clemson standout had issues last season with protecting the ball and some have questioned whether he still be an elite quarterback in the NFL.
This will be a good first test for Lawrence against a defense coached by new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. There’s no question he’s a better talent than Tagovailoa, but both have their own approaches to how they play.
Tagovailoa understands how to operate the offense he plays while being a high-level processor to distribute the ball to his playmakers. Lawrence has the same capability but with a gunslinger mentality, inviting risks. Who makes the biggest throw in the biggest moment will be key on Sunday.
The Dolphins will likely be another strong defensive unit that will likely give any quarterback fits, especially with safety Jevon Holland and, if he is available, cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the secondary.
A win and a strong outing by Lawrence & Co. at Hard Rock Stadium will give Jacksonville a bolt of confidence heading into their home opener against the Cleveland Browns.
