Jaguars @ Dolphins
Final Score: Dolphins 20 – Jaguars 17
Writer: Steven Pintado (@coachstevenp on Twitter)
This was an exciting game to watch in Week 1. The Jaguars got off to a hot start, showing some great movement with the ball in the air downfield. With his receivers, Trevor Lawrence threw a pair of touchdowns early in this game. Eventually, the offense got cold with poor plays in the second half of the game. A costly fumble in the third quarter would change the game’s momentum. The Dolphins would get off to a cold start with four straight drives where they had to punt or got stopped on fourth down. Eventually, the Dolphins’ passing offense got hot and touchdowns started to fall. The run game was not great for the Dolphins, but the passing made up for it. This would lead Miami to make a great comeback from down 17-7 to win the game right at the end.
Three Up
- Tank Bigsby – The second-year running back seems to be gaining the trust of this coaching staff. Bigsby looks fantastic running with the ball on the ground. He started on the second drive and had two big runs early. He is going to be involved.
- Brian Thomas Jr. – The rookie receiver looked great in his first career NFL game. He made big plays and caught a touchdown. Thomas Jr. is going to get chances in this offense. There is no No. 1 option in this offense yet.
- DeVon Achane – Achane looked more like the 1A in the offense over Mostert. It could have been that the Dolphins were behind, but Achane’s role is increasing, especially in the passing game.
Three Down
- Travis Etienne – Starting running back Travis Etienne seems to be losing a grip on his starting job. He did not look good running, and Bigsby was the better player on Sunday. We could see more of a split backfield in Jacksonville.
- Raheem Mostert – Mostert had a poor day and did not run with much efficiency. After Miami got behind, Mostert disappeared in the offense.
- Jaylen Wright – Wright was inactive in today’s game. I wonder if they are saving Wright for now. He may not be worth rostering at this time.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence: 12/21, 162 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 8 Yards
Trevor Lawrence got off to a solid start in this game. He had a very good first half, where he moved the ball downfield in the air. Despite pressure in the first half, Lawrence looked solid in the pocket and made a few great throws. The touchdown throw to Brian Thomas Jr was perfect. The offensive play calling failed him in the second half as he only threw the ball eight times. Lawrence just didn’t get much opportunity to show off his talent in this game. He didn’t make any bad throws and hit his receivers with great passes.
Notes
- He completed just three passes in the second half on eight attempts
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 12 Carries, 44 Yards, TD, (Fumble) | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
Travis Etienne got lucky in fantasy today with that one-yard touchdown. Etienne on the ground did not look all that impressive. He was not finding the holes, and his explosiveness looked lost in this game. He had a few nice receptions, but his early down work could be in trouble. He had the same number of carries as backup Tank Bigsby. Hopefully, Etienne can rebound, but he should at least have his receiving role within the offense.
Notes
- In 2023 Etienne had a 75% rush share. Today his rush share was 50%.
Missed Opportunities
- He fumbled the ball that landed in the endzone.
Tank Bigsby: 12 Carries, 73 Yards
Tank Bigsby time is coming! The offseason had told us that the coaching staff was impressed with Bigsby. He got on the field during the second drive and exploded for 25 yards on his first two carries. He looked better than Etienne running the ball and looked faster. Bigsby showed us that he will have some type of role in this offense after seeing 12 carries in Week 1.
Notes
- He did not see a target in this game.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Christian Kirk: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 30 Yards
Christian Kirk had a bad day for fantasy. Kirk and Lawrence did not look like they were on the same page on a few of those targets. Kirk’s one catch was a wide-open one over the middle of the field. It was clear that Kirk wasn’t needed in this game. It’s tough to say if Kirk will rebound since this offense made weird calls.
Notes
- Christian Kirk did not get a target until the second quarter.
Missed Opportunities
- Dropped a pass that Kirk could have caught.
Gabe Davis : 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 62 Yards
Surprisingly, Gabe Davis looked solid in his matchup. He was able to find the space at times in the zone and get open for Lawrence. He looked like their field-stretching receiver, and he did it well. He also looked solid with his blocking and helped with a few runs that went to the outside. Davis’ role is still a mystery if he is a consistent player, but in Week 1, he was solid.
Notes
- All three of Gabe Davis’ catches went for 20 yards.
Brian Thomas Jr: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 47 Yards, TD
I was impressed with rookie Brian Thomas Jr. in this game. He looked good in the first half. They sometimes had him in the slot, including on his touchdown catch. His route running and speed showed his upside coming into the league. Unfortunately, the offense fell apart in the second half, and he did not get another look the rest of the game. He should be in everyone’s eyes when the Jaguars throw the ball more in other games.
Notes
- He caught Jalen Ramsey with a pass inference call that led to a one-yard touchdown.
Evan Engram: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Starting tight end Evan Engram was quiet in his first game of the season. Engram and Lawrence did not look on the same page, as many of their throws did not see the right connection. I hope that Engram bounces back next week. He didn’t look bad in this game. He ran good routes, but his connection with Lawrence was off.
Missed Opportunities
- He had a six-yard catch overturned by penalty.
Parker Washington: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa: 23/37, 336 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 11 Yards
Tua Tagovailoa looked good in this game. He looked poised in the pocket and made some good throws. There were a few plays where he overthrew his receivers, but that is a timing thing. This offense didn’t get in-game time during the pre-season to play together. We saw Tagovailoa open up the offense after the first quarter. He made many smart throws in this game, as it seems like Tagovailoa is growing as a passer in his fifth season. Also, the weight Tagovailoa had lost is apparent as he looks faster in the pocket. He had a few runs that looked like he could have some rushing floor to his game.
Notes
- Tua Tagovailoa had most of his completions within four yards of the line of scrimmage.
- 268 of his passing yards came after the first quarter.
Missed Opportunities
- He somehow overthrew Tyreek Hill two times in this game.
- He had a 12-yard run that was called by due to a penalty.
Running Back
DeVon Achane: 10 Carries, 25 Yards, TD | 7 Targets, 7 Receptions, 75 Yards
Devon Achane came to play in Week 1. Achane woke everyone up with a 39-yard reception on the game’s third play. Achane didn’t look great as a runner in this game. None of the Dolphins’ running backs looked great so it could be an offensive line problem. Achane’s real value comes with his receiving numbers. He had seven receptions in this game. Miami needed a third option in the passing game, and it looks like that could be Achane. Miami set up many plays to give the ball to Achane on screenplays and allow him to produce those yards after the catch.
Notes
- Achane has three plays of 10 yards or more.
Missed Opportunities
- Devon Achane had a nine-yard run called back.
Raheem Mostert: 6 Carries, 6 Yards | 3 Target, 2 Reception, 10 Yards
It was not a great day for Raheem Mostert. Mostert saw a carry on the first two drives, but his role was minimal. He had three touch-ups in the first half, and it wasn’t until the third quarter he got more than half of his touches. Mostert may have gotten banged up on one of his early runs. That could be the reason we didn’t see Mostert touch the ball much until after halftime. Mostert did not look as great and did not get the red zone work today. His value may be moving away as the Dolphins 1B option.
Missed Opportunities
- Mostert had an 11-yard run that was called by on a penalty.
Jeff Wilson: 5 Carries, 26 Yards
Alec Ingold: 2 Carries, 9 Yards | 1 Target
The Dolphins had Jeff Wilson active over Jaylen Wright. He was used as a bigger back to push the ball in the critical part of the fourth quarter. His role will be the short yardage back along with Alec Ingold.
Notes
- Wilson didn’t touch the ball until the fourth quarter.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyreek Hill: 12 Targets, 7 Receptions, 130 Yards, TD
After a crazy morning with Tyreek Hill, who was dealing with some off-the-field issues, he showed up during the game. Hill did get off to a slow start with five receptions for 30 yards. On his following reception, he had a game-changing 80-yard touchdown. Hill looked as fast as ever in his game. He led the team in targets and should continue that as we move into Week 2.
Notes
- He had an 80-yard touchdown.
Missed Opportunities
- He could have another potential touchdown if he watched his feet.
- Tagovialoa missed him by inches on a big play downfield.
Jaylen Waddle: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 108 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Waddle looked fantastic in his first game of the season. He did give us a scare on the first drive with a potential head injury, but he was able to come back and dominate. Waddle looks great with his route running and speed to find himself open on most catches. He had three catches of 20-plus yards. Waddle continues to have WR1 upside in fantasy.
Notes
- He would leave for a few minutes to test for a concussion on his first catch.
- He got caught from behind on a play he may have been able to score on.
- Waddle forced a flag on Tyson Campbell that could have been another big play for Waddle had he gotten free
Braxton Berrios: 2 Targets
Berrios had two targets with the first three drives of the game. Both were passes that were too far away from him to catch. He also had two fair catches as a punt returner. Berrios won’t be a player that becomes fantasy-relevant in this Dolphins offense.
Jonnu Smith: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Jonnu Smith’s first game as a Dolphin was not impressive. His one catch was out to the flat. He had a clear drop on the first catch of the game, which could have been a fumble. The Dolphins seem to be rotating their tight ends, so Smith may not have a significant role. He is going to have boom/bust weeks all season.
Julian Hill: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Durham Smythe: 3 Targets