Tag: Miami Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jags release list of 6 inactive for Week 3 game vs. Dolphins

D.J. Chark and Brandon Linder were officially listed amongst the Jags inactives for Thursday Night Football.

The Jacksonville Jaguars released their list of inactives for Week 3’s Thursday Night prime-time game against the Miami Dolphins. This week, receiver Dede Westbrook wasn’t amongst the group as many expected due to D.J. Chark (chest/back) being ruled out early Thursday afternoon. Likely starting in his place will be Keelan Cole.

The other notable player to surface on the list, of course, was Brandon Linder, who the Jags ruled out on the final injury report with a knee injury. Starting in his place will be veteran Tyler Shatley who has started in seven games at center.

With Westbrook seeing his first action of the year it will be interesting to see if he also takes some snaps as a returner as rookie Chris Claybrooks had some muffed returns Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

As for the Dolphins, there was only one notable listed on their group of inactives and that was cornerback Byron Jones (Achilles/groin), who was also ruled out on the final injury report like Linder. Starting in his place will likely be first-round rookie Noah Igbinoghene.

Dolphins vs. Jaguars: 3 keys to a Jacksonville victory

With D.J. Chark ruled out, the Jags should lean on RB James Robinson against the Dolphins, which should help eliminate turnovers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play in their only primetime game of 2020 later this evening, hosting the 0-2 Miami Dolphins for Thursday Night Football. The atmosphere within the club is surprisingly upbeat after a relatively strong start to the new season having shocked the Indianapolis Colts on opening weekend, the team then narrowly lost a nail-biter in Tennessee last Sunday.

With the mood high, and fans still excited about the team, today is the perfect time for the Jaguars to host a primetime game. If they are able to win today, the team will be 2-1 and full of confidence ahead of a winnable trip to Cincinnati next week.

The organization announced that they will be suiting up in all-teal uniforms for the first time in the team’s history, even painting the end zones prior to the matchup. With the team coming into this prime-time game looking the part, the nation will be able to see whether the Jaguars have more to offer 2020 than an alternate color-scheme.

If coach Doug Marrone is to lead his team to a win this week, there are certain elements of his gameplan that he must exploit. Here are three keys to a Jaguars victory against the Dolphins:

Run the ball

The team just announced that Pro Bowl receiver D.J Chark has been ruled out of this game with chest and back injuries, which means that Minshew is going to be without his favorite target this evening.

In the team’s first game against Indianapolis, the offense flowed through rookie running back James Robinson as Jacksonville went on to win the game comfortably. However, during last Sunday’s game against the Titans, Minshew was asked to do more with his arm and two turnovers came out of the overall result.

This is not to say that Minshew is a bad quarterback, in fact, he’s far from it. However, he shouldn’t be doing things by himself. Comparing his stats from the first two games says it all.

In the Jaguars’ opening victory, Minshew was 19-of-20 with three touchdowns and no interceptions,  finishing with a passer rating of 142.3. Against the Titans, the second-year passer threw the ball over twice as much and finished the game 30-of-45, with three touchdowns, and two picks. As a result, he accumulated a 92.7 passer rating.

Whilst Robinson has started the season off so strong, he should be utilized early and often to limit mistakes on an offensive unit struggling to stay healthy.

No more penalties

The biggest killer for Jacksonville recently has been the amount of needless penalties given against them. Granted, not all of them are entirely fair (see Myles Jack’s pass-interference penalty Week 3), but badly disciplined teams rarely win football games.

If the team can keep the flags in the referee’s pockets and maintain momentum in key drives, their chances of winning will improve dramatically. This might prove difficult on the offensive line, with starting center Brandon Linder being sideline with a knee injury. With a new quarterback/center partnership on the field tonight, fans will be hoping for no false starts or holding penalties to boost confidence early.

Get Pressure

The lack of pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been a problem for the Jaguars. The team will go into their third game with only one sack coming from their defensive line. That sack goes to rookie K’Lavon Chaisson, who only saw the field 18 times on Sunday.

A lot was said about the attrition on the defensive line before the season, be it opt-outs or injuries, but if this team is serious about winning more than four games this year then they simply have to start hitting opposing quarterbacks. Nobody is expecting the ‘Sacksonville’ of 2017, the remnants of which are no longer visible on the roster. Yet this team has enough talent to generate pressure upfront. If it doesn’t? Even Ryan Fitzpatrick will tear the defense apart.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Report: D.J. Chark ‘trending upward’ for game vs. Dolphins with chest and back injuries

Jags WR DJ Chark will be a game time decision for Thursday night, but NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that he’s ‘trending upward.’

While we will ultimately know his status closer to the game, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver D.J. Chark is trending in the right direction health-wise for tonight’s Thursday Night Football battle against the Miami Dolphins.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was able to provide an update on the third-year receiver early Thursday morning after Chark was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday, but missed Wednesday’s session and was ruled questionable on the final injury report.

If Chark can play, it would give Gardner Minshew II his top target as Chark accumulated 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019 and went to the Pro Bowl. This year, Chark has only managed to garner seven catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, but that’s been because Minshew has done a good job spreading the ball around.

Having Chark suit up could also be a huge issue for the Dolphins as they ruled out starting cornerback Byron Jones with a groin and Achilles injury. Starting in his place will be first-round rookie Noah Igbinoghene, who had a rough Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, allowing seven completions for over 140 yards and two touchdowns. With that being the case, our comrades over at Dolphins Wire believe Miami should utilize Xavien Howard to cover Chark if he plays.

If Chark is held out of the game, things could be a little closer, but still favorable for the Jags. Their depth at receiver is on a strength of the team and there are several others who could step up in the absence of Chark like Keelan Cole or Dede Westbrook (who was inactive Weeks 1-2). They’ve also received solid contributions from rookies Laviska Shenault Jr. and Collin Johnson.

Clearly, we’ll know more about Chark’s status when the Jags release their list of inactives. However, if the Jags want to allow him more time to heal up, this might be the right time because the Dolphins have struggled mightily on defense.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Final injury report for Week 3: Jags rule Chark as questionable, Linder ruled OUT vs. Dolphins

The Jags may be without two key offensive starters against the Miami Dolphins, who have a key defensive injury of their own to deal with.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could be without several key players for their Thursday Night Football battle with the Miami Dolphins, most of which are on the offensive side.

As expected, the Jags ruled center Brandon Linder out after he sustained a knee injury in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. With him set to be sidelined, Tyler Shatley, who has seven career starts at center (15 starts overall) will start in his place.

Receiver D.J. Chark Jr. was ruled questionable and didn’t practice Wednesday. He was limited both on Monday and Tuesday so his status could go either way come game time. Luckily, if he can’t go the Jags a pretty strong at receiver with Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook (who has been inactive all season), and rookies Laviska Shenault Jr. and Collin Johnson behind him.

As mentioned earlier, kicker Josh Lambo was ruled out with a hip injury and will be going on injured reserve. Starting in his place will be practice squad rookie Brandon Wright from Georgia State University.

The only two other players to surface on the injury report for the Jags, Tyler Davis and Brandon Watson, were full participants in practice and were left off the status column.

As for the Dolphins, they ruled their star cornerback Byron Jones out with a hip and Achilles injury, which means rookie Noah Igbinoghene will start in his place. In their last game, the first-rounder struggled mightily so his matchups on the outside will be worth watching Thursday.

The Dolphins also ruled backup safety Clayton Fejedelem out, too, while all of the others on their injury report were full participants.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Injury news: Jags to place PK Josh Lambo on injured reserve

The Jags will be without Josh Lambo for a few weeks, who is one of the better kickers in the league.

While the Miami Dolphins are battling some key injuries for Thursday’s game, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have to overcome some of their own. The team will be placing place kicker Josh Lambo on injured reserve with a left hip injury, meaning he’ll be out for at least three weeks.

To replace the veteran, the Jags will be activating undrafted rookie Brandon Wright off their practice squad.

Lambo wasn’t on the Jags‘ initial injury report for Week 3 but surfaced on Tuesday’s as a limited participant. That could mean it was an injury which happened in practice yesterday.

Wright, on the other hand, played collegiately at Georgia State University. He  was 12-of-18 in field goal attempts in 2019 and was 48-of-49 in extra point attempts. He also was a punter for the Panthers and averaged 41.8 yards per punt last season.

With Lambo sidelined, the Jags might look to go for more fourth and short opportunities than expected, although Marrone expressed his confidence in Wright. Then again, if the Jags move the ball against the Dolphins as others have, the kicking game may not impact the game all that much.

Listen: Jags Wire goes behind enemy lines with the “On the Fin Side” podcast

What are the Dolphins looking like heading into their Week 3 game vs. Jags? Brian Catanzaro explains it all as a guest on Bleav in the Jags.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are over 24 hours from their in-state primetime game with the Miami Dolphins, which could be more entertaining than most want to give credit for. Two of the NFL’s facial hair kings, Gardner Minshew II and Ryan Fitzpatrick, have already done their part in making things interesting and all there is left to do is simply take the field.

To prepare our many listeners for the game, we went behind enemy lines with the “On the Fin Side” podcast hosted by Brian “Cat” Catanzaro and Paul Picken to preview the Dolphins. We specifically evaluated the team’s achievements during the 2020 offseason, the projected time for Tua Tagovailoa to see the field, some X-factors for the game, and Brian Flores’ timetable.

To hear the conversation that took place with Cat on episode 36 of “Bleav in the Jags” alongside with the predictions by Phil Smith and myself, simply jump to the link below.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jaguars enter the week as a 3-point favorite vs. Dolphins

The Jags have entered the week as favorites for a change and their opponents, the Dolphins, are viewed as the underdog for the time being.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the underdogs for most of last season and the first two weeks of this season. However, at least for Week 3, it appears they will be on the opposite end of the spectrum.

According to BetMGM, the Jaguars are currently three-point favorites heading into their home matchup vs. the Miami Dolphins. The money line is very close to even with the Jags only a slight -167 favorite while the Dolphins come on the money line as +140 betting underdogs.

The Jaguars are 1-1 on the season while the Dolphins come into the game with a winless 0-2 record. Both teams have not met much in their history, but the Jags own a 5-4 series advantage historically against the Dolphins. The Jaguars have won the last two matchups versus the Dolphins with their last loss coming in 2014.

Wager to keep an eye on:

For those taking Jags, a great wager to pair with is the offering of “Jacksonville Jaguars by 7-12 points” coming in at +375 currently. This means that a $100 wager would net $375.

Dating back to last season, the Cardiac Cats have won seven times by a total average of 9.7 points. While the personnel has changed a bit, the Jaguars still keep the games pretty close meaning that a 10-point deficit would not be out of the realm of possibilities for the Jaguars. That could in turn pay largely if you’re going all in on the Jags to win on the money line, point spread (priced at -110, $110 wager would win $100), and the aforementioned 7-12 point wager.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

The Mustache vs. The Beard: Minshew, Fitzpatrick have a friendly exchange for upcoming battle

Thursday Night Football won’t only feature an in-state rivalry, but it will also be a battle to declare the NFL’s facial hair king.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will get the primetime spotlight this week as they take on the Miami Dolphins for Thursday Night Football. It’s a matchup that should make Gardner Minshew II feel right at home after kicking off Minshew Mania in the same setting last year. As many are aware, that game took place against the Tennessee Titans and was a win for the Cardiac Cats by a score of 20-7.

Since that game, Minshew has continued to be successful and has developed a huge following. Part of that has been because of his play, of course, and the other part of it has been due to his unique look and legendary mustache.

However, on the other side of the field will be another quarterback who has also become a legend due to his look and that’s the man with arguably the greatest beard in the NFL: Ryan Fitzpatrick. During media rounds, Fitzpatrick was asked to speak on his matchup against Minshew and was also asked who has the cooler look as far as facial hair goes and his answer wasn’t surprising.

Of course, it didn’t take too long for Minshew to hear about Fitzpatrick’s presser and the second-year player answered with a comeback of his own, stating that he could also grow a flawless beard but would respect his elders.

Many people are overlooking Thursday’s game because of the expectations for both teams, but we got to hand it to Minshew and Fitzpatrick for making it more exciting. It wouldn’t be shocking to see both players follow up their friendly exchange with solid performances as both the Jags and Dolphins have struggling defenses at the moment.

Not only will Thursday’s game be a battle to decide who the facial hair king of the NFL is, but it will also be an in-state rivalry game. For now, the Jags lead the all-time series with a record of 5-4, so the Dolphins will be aiming to make it even Week 3.

Jags hit social media ‘goal’ to debut all teal uniforms

It looks like the Jags will wear all team for the first time Thursday as they take on the Dolphins at TIAA Bank Field.

After several requests dating back to their change in uniforms (2018), the Jacksonville Jaguars will wear all teal for the first time.

On Tuesday morning at exactly 9:04 AM, the team tweeted out that the Jags would wear all teal for their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Miami Dolphins if the fanbase retweeted their message 5,000 times. While most felt they would debut the uniforms anyway, the fanbase still was able to hit the goal — so all teal it is.

When the Jags made their swap to their current uniforms two years ago, Nike previewed former cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the all teal combination, but the Jags never wore the combination in any of their games. However, fans stayed on their case about the combination and the organization heard them loud and clear it seems.

It will be interesting to see if the Jags can get a Week 3 win with the change and start 1-0 in the new combination. Heck, the combination may even make a return in 2020 if the Jags ball out Thursday as they are viewed as the favorites in their matchup with Miami.

Jags injury report: WR D.J. Chark practices on a limited basis Monday

The Jags’ first injury report for Week 3 only had four players on it, including WR D.J. Chark who was limited.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a short week to prepare for their next game as they will face the Miami Dolphins for Thursday Night Football. Luckily, there weren’t many injuries to deal with after their game against the Tennessee Titans and only four players surface on the injury report Monday. Those players were receiver D.J. Chark Jr. (chest), tight end Tyler Davis (knee), center Brandon Linder (knee), and safety Brandon Watson (illness).

Chark and Davis were both limited while Linder and Watson didn’t practice.

Chark is a new addition to the injury report and wasn’t on it last week. However, with him surfacing on the report as a limited participant, it appears the Jags will slowly work him up to full participation before Thursday’s game.

Davis, on the other hand, has been on the report since the opening week of the season. He’s been a non-participant the whole time and Monday marked his first time practicing this regular season.

As previously reported, Linder was ruled day-to-day after sustaining a knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. He didn’t return after being ruled questionable and Tyler Shatley took his place for the remainder of the game. If Linder is unavailable, Shatley will remain in the lineup Week 3 as he’s started in seven games at the center position for the Jags.