Jaguars vs. Dolphins: Halftime Thoughts

The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering halftime with a 17-5 lead over the Miami Dolphins.

So, what did we see in the first half of Jaguars vs. Dolphins? We break it down below.

The offense rebounded from a bad start

It was just one drive, but the opening drive of the 2024 season was the epitome of what the Jaguars struggled with in 2023. The Jaguars lost 13 yards on the first play after leaving veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell unblocked.

Campbell is the largest human being in the stadium, so it is hard to believe the Jaguars dialed up the right scheme. The next two plays included a run for negative yards and an overthrown pass on 3rd-and-long.

The Jaguars’ next drive, however, was a masterpiece. Tank Bigsby ran hard and gained 25 yards on his first two carries, while Gabe Davis’ first target was a 20-yard gain and the first shot to Brian Thomas Jr. resulted in a 41-yard defensive pass interference on Jalen Ramsey.

Travis Etienne then hit paydirt from one-yard out to complete a 96-yard scoring drive and a statement.

Running games were biggest discrepancy

The Dolphins offense simply looked claustrophobic for most of the first-half, and this was largely because the Jaguars forced them to look one-dimensional. The Dolphins gained just three yards on their first six carries, with the Jaguars’ defensive line living behind the line of scrimmage.

The Dolphins attempted to get to the edge, but Travon Walker dominated in the running game to prevent it.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars picked up 50 yards on their first 12 carries. The rushing attack was led by Tank Bigsby, who was out-carried by Travis Etienne but gained 31 yards on his first four carries, giving him a 7.8 yards per carry average compared to Etienne’s seven carries for 11 yards.

The Jaguars’ offense stayed balance in large part due to the running game.

Jaguars have the quarterback advantage

Other than a 39-yard screen pass that saw De’Von Achane do all of the work, the Jaguars handled Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa early in the first half. Tagovailoa was 5-of-10 for 32 yards outside of the screen pass on the first three drives of the game, which led to a turnover on downs and a punt.

Tagovailoa missed an open Tyreek Hill for a touchdown on the second drive as well.

Trevor Lawrence wasn’t perfect in his start with a poor throw on 3rd-and-long on the first drive, but his second drive saw him pick up yards with his legs and hit Gabe Davis with a well-placed 20-yard throw.

His throw to Brian Thomas Jr. ensured it would either be a touchdown or a pass interference, too. Lawrence then hit a 30-yard throw to Christian Kirk and a 14-yard touchdown to Thomas Jr. for legit big-time throw moments, which the Dolphins didn’t get.

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