The Dolphins defense has shown some strengths, though there’s room for improvement with regards to tackling and pass rush. Meanwhile, Jacksonville must dominate in their front seven if they hope to contain Miami’s speed offensively.
Travis Etienne’s one-yard touchdown run concluded Jacksonville’s six-play, 96-yard drive on their inaugural possession.
In this article, we will discuss the main points or top players of Jacksonville Jaguars Vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats.
Below is a table highlighting key players and their notable contributions from that game:
Miami Dolphins
| Player Name | Position | Notable Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Completed 23 of 37 passes for 338 yards and one touchdown. |
| Tyreek Hill | WR | Recorded seven receptions for 130 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | Tallied five catches for 109 yards, with a long of 63 yards. |
| De’Von Achane | RB | Rushed 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown; added seven receptions for 76 yards. |
| Jevon Holland | S | Forced a crucial fumble near the goal line, leading to a touchback. |
| Kader Kohou | CB | Recovered the fumble in the end zone, preventing a Jaguars’ score. |
| Jason Sanders | K | Successfully made two field goals in the final five minutes, including a 52-yard game-winner as time expired. |
Jacksonville Jaguars
| Player Name | Position | Notable Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | Completed 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. |
| Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | Rushed 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown; fumbled near the goal line in the third quarter. |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | Caught a 14-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. |
| Christian Kirk | WR | Made one reception for 30 yards. |
| Travon Walker | DE | Registered two sacks, including one that pushed the Dolphins out of field-goal range. |
| Arik Armstead | DL | Recorded a sack during the game. |
| Cam Little | K | Converted a 53-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. |
Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa made quick work of the Jaguars’ revamped defense in 2023, and that trend continued in Week 1. As the rookie free agent who replaced Blake Bortles as quarterback has immense talent he showed it off early in the second quarter with two touchdown passes to Tyreek Hill for 69 yards before connecting with Jaylen Waddle for another score to test the Jaguars secondary further.
Defending Super Bowl champions were far from dominant defensively on Sunday afternoon, yet their front seven held strong against Miami Dolphins’ rushing attack and pass rush in the first half. Emmanuel Ogbah and Jaelan Phillips each recorded sacks on their respective drives from Miami that saw no first downs produced during those drives.
On their next drive, running back Travis Etienne was stopped short at one-yard line by safety Javon Holland on a fourth-and-1 play that would have brought the ball inside Jacksonville 10-yard line for scoring opportunity and was therefore forced to punt.
On a third-and-13 series that ended with a three-and-out following a holding penalty against left guard Robert Jones, then, on the next series, an attempt at the Miami 37 on third down failed due to a delay of game penalty on center DaVon Hamilton.
Only Parker Washington’s kickoff return fumble was recovered by Jacksonville’s Byron Webb, and eventually they advanced the ball downfield and had an opportunity to take advantage of short field conditions in the final minute, but settled for Jason Sanders’ 52-yard field goal as they closed out their victory.
Jacksonville offense was more competent than expected in their season opener against Denver Broncos and Chargers, though still could use improvement with line management and winning turnover battle. But there were positives for Jacksonville to build upon from their performance.
Wide Receivers
This offseason, the Jaguars took steps to upgrade their wide receiver corps with young talent by signing three young wideouts to complement veterans Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis. This development is key as Jacksonville aims to establish a stable rotation to support rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Young receivers have shown promise early, so it will be fascinating to watch how they perform against a strong Dolphins defense. Consistency will be key, but these youngsters could prove an unexpected threat in the second half.
Parker Washington has quickly established himself as a reliable No. 2 option for the Jaguars. A 2023 second-round draft pick, Washington excels at finding open areas and making difficult catches; two receptions for 46 yards against the Dolphins demonstrated his ability to gain separation quickly and secure additional yards as soon as he found open spots in their defense.
Cam Little made his only field goal attempt Sunday a 23-yarder, as well as one PAT attempt, while kicker Travis Etienne remains sidelined due to an ankle injury. Little could see an increase in workload against Detroit Lions next week.
Tim Jones and Denzel Mims remain in a battle to earn the final starting job at wide receiver. Jones has shown more glimpses of being capable, though the competition remains tight. Both players need to improve their route-running and ball security in order to extend their playing time.
Christian Kirk remains one of the Jaguars’ primary targets. At 27 years old, Kirk provides solid possession options while his speed enables him to make plays from slot positions. If the offense struggles further into 2019, Christian may play an even larger role for Jacksonville.
Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios have both suffered injuries during training camp, while Odell Beckham remains on the PUP list, and rookie seventh-round draft pick Tahj Washington continues his rehabilitation from knee and ankle issues.
The Dolphins secondary had its fair share of missteps against the Jaguars, yet is still considered an above-average unit. Their effort forced multiple turnovers while disrupting both offensive and defensive rhythm. Credit should go to this defense for their efforts!
Running Backs
Ryan Nielsen made an immediate impactful debut as Miami defense coordinator by effectively shutting down Jacksonville’s run game for much of the day and keeping them from finding any rhythm on offense. Unfortunately, however, their pass defense wasn’t up to par and their second-half comeback began when safety Jevon Holland forced Travis Etienne fumble at goalline.
Miami took advantage of a turnover by the Bengals to score a field goal and take control. A late-game interception by Andre Cisco and kicker Jason Sanders’ 52-yard field goal gave them an opening game victory of 20-17 over their opponents.
Kenyan Drake and Lamar Miller of the Dolphins’ running back duo combined for 205 yards on six receptions during a decisive win for Miami against Minnesota, becoming among the fastest duos in NFL. Both players possess high speed to threaten any defense.
Drake had an outstanding second half, recording receptions of 20, 63, 13 yards as well as receiving Tua Tagovailoa’s 20-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter – this score being the longest of the game.
The Jaguars had several opportunities in the final minutes to extend their lead by double digits, but failed to convert any. Wide receiver Christian Kirk dropped two key third-down passes – on 3rd and 9 in the second quarter and 3rd and 5 in the fourth – that would have put them deep into Dolphins territory and possibly altered the outcome of the game.
After an ineffective first half, the Jaguars’ offense became effective in the second. Rookie running back De’Von Achane scored on their opening drive of the second half by rushing for three-yard touchdown and also converted a third-and-1 play by throwing a screen pass to fellow rookie Tank Bigsby.
The Jaguars offense wasn’t up to par against the Dolphins’, but their defense played well enough to give them a chance at recovering from an early double-digit deficit. If Lawrence remains protected and prevents Hill and Waddle from breaking loose too easily from one another then they could find themselves winning games this season.
Defensive Ends
Defensive ends are positions within football that require fast players with strong physiques who are fast enough to move quickly, yet strong enough to hold their ground and prevent runners from running past them. The top defensive ends in the league can often score 10 or more sacks annually and often make over $10 million due to their skill set.
Josh Hines-Allen is one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL and an invaluable asset to any defense, and the Jaguars boast one of them with Josh Hines-Allen. A former Kentucky star, Hines-Allen can rush the quarterback and disrupt plays in the backfield while also being an effective run defender and pass rusher that creates major headaches for opponents.
Hines-Allen recorded a sack on the opening play and was seen making plays against nearly every offensive drive thereafter. He displayed the ability to handle double teams while still producing results; the Jaguars require him to keep performing like this throughout their season.
On their second drive of the game, the Dolphins offense was disorganized and inefficient. Starting off with Christian Kirk dropping a pass and an illegal contact penalty by Xavien Howard on third down. Following that was Tua Tagovailoa trying to hit Hill deep behind the secondary but overthrowing him; ultimately leading to three and out.
After taking an initial punt, Jacksonville mounted an effective drive to start the second half. A 34-yard field goal by David Little gave Jacksonville an initial 17-7 advantage before an 11-play drive saw Jaylen Waddle catch a 12-yard touchdown reception and T. J. Achane score on one yard run to bring it within 17-14 with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter.
On the final Dolphins drive before halftime, the defense allowed two key plays from Emmanuel Ogbah and Jordan Poyer’s drives: pressure from Ogbah forced an incompletion while Jordan Poyer missed an important tackle as he focused on hitting Evan Engram rather than trying to pick off quick passes – this would have been a crucial turnover that would have changed the outcome of the game.
