MIAMI — Time to put Madden away, Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville Jaguars head five hours south to Miami to take on the Dolphins.
With the Stadium of the Future looming off the field, the Jaguars look to improve on back-to-back 9-8 records under Coach Doug Pederson. The feeling among fans is generally positive: Two consecutive wining seasons is a big deal.
Optics are important. The Jaguars collapsed with a 1-5 record down the stretch in 2023, a far cry from the optimism of a playoff win featuring one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history and a divisional playoff loss to eventual Super Bowl champions in 2022.
Staring up at the Houston Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud, the Jaguars are the clear second best team in the division as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans rebuild with young quarterbacks. But in a league so QB-centric, the narrative can change and Colts' QB Anthony Richardson showed promise last season despite numerous injuries. The Jags' schedule is grueling to start off with, but tapers off toward mid-season.
Lawrence's Year 3 was a mixed bag largely due to injuries but he remains the Jaguars' cornerstone and beacon of hope and the franchise expectedly made him one of the highest paid players in the league. Goodbye Calvin Ridley, hello Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis, in addition to Christian Kirk returning from injury and tight end Evan Engram coming off a 1,000-yard season. Running back Travis Etienne looks to improve on a season where he gathered 1,484 total yards. Center Mitch Morse was added to reinforce the Jags' weakest position.
The Jaguars, who averaged 22.2 points a game last year, need to figure out the playcalling quick and overcome slow starts. Fans won't care if it's Press Taylor or Pederson calling the plays if the offense hums.
New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielson takes over a hot-and-cold unit that's been bolstered with defensive tackle Arik Armstead and veteran cornerback Ronald Darby. They have one of the league's stars in defensive end Joshua Hines-Allen.
Miami is fearsome high-scoring offense to contend with, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has two of the best receivers in the league in the form of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, despite a middling offensive line.
Let's check in on Hill real quick:
Scanning the Dolphins' depth chart, oh, look who it is.
The Jaguars drafted future Hall of Famer Jalen Ramsey fifth overall in 2016. His stay was tumultuous. Despite stellar play from a elite shutdown corner the franchise hadn't seen since Rashean Mathis, he feuded with the front office and the media, alienating fans. He was roundly accused of quitting prior to his 2019 mid-season trade, but he was and still is one of the best players in the NFL at his position.
A seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (!) Ramsey picked up a ring in 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams, was traded to Miami in 2023 and awarded a fat contract a few days ago. He's faced Lawrence once, but it was during the Urban Meyer season so it doesn't really count. Coming off a hamstring injury, Ramsey is listed as active.
The following players will be inactive for the Jaguars in today’s game:
- S Daniel Thomas
- OL Javon Foster
- OL Cole Van Lanen
- DT Esezi Otomewo
- DT Jordan Jefferson
- DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. The heat index is more than 100 degrees in Miami and humidity will be a factor.
