Jaguars vs Dolphins: Five Observations

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 0-3 in the preseason after a 22-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but what can we take away from the game?

1) Josh Allen looked like the best player on the field: 

The 7th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was a demon against the Dolphins in the handful of series the first string defense played. The Jaguars have made it clear they aren't wasting time easing Allen into the lineup, seeing as he is already being used in a variety of ways by defensive coordinator Todd Wash. 

Against the Dolphins, Allen made plays in the run game (racking up a TFL early in the game), as a pass rusher (one of his multiple pressures led to a Dawuane Smoot sack) and in coverage (tracked down Dolphins running back. Kalen Ballage behind the LOS on a dump off).

2) Nick Foles saw highs and lows: 

Prized free agent addition Nick Foles threw only 10 passes, but he more or less gave people a glimpse of what he can do in this offense, though the team did not show their full hand scheme-wise by any means. 

Foles finished the night 6/10 for 48 yards, throwing a touchdown and interception apiece. The touchdown was a nice touch pass to an open Dede Westbrook and capped off an impressive drive by Foles. The interception was a poor decision after the pocket was disrupted, giving the receiver no real chance to beat Dolphins cornerback Eric Rowe for the ball. 

3) The likely week 1 offensive tackles were stout: 

Starting left tackle Cam Robinson and presumed starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor were very impressive in the few drives they played. For Robinson, this was huge because this was the first time he played a snap against an opposing team since suffering a torn ACL on Sept, 16, 2018

Each tackle held their ground in pass blocking, keeping quarterback Nick Foles relatively clean throughout the game. Taylor was particularly impressive as a run blocker, showing the strength and toughness the team covets in its tackles. While Josh Allen will get most of the publicity for his performance, Taylor's should not be forgotten.                                                                                                                    

4) Todd Wash has some new tricks: 

Perhaps the biggest knock on Todd Wash since he became the Jaguars' defensive coordinator in 2016 has been the predictability of his scheme. However, he has mixed it up more during the preseason this year, and he took it one step further against the Dolphins.

The first play of the game was the perfect example. With the Jaguars in a rare 3-4 look, it resulted in DE Josh Allen coming unblocked from the edge and causing a quick throw. Like mentioned above, Allen was a chesspiece for Wash as he threw out a much more exotic-looking scheme before week 1. 

5) Taven Bryan's struggles continued: 

Second-year defensive tackle Taven Bryan has had lowlights in each of the Jaguars' first two preseason games, and things got worse against the Dolphins. Bryan actually got good penetration on a few pass plays, but he was penalized twice for roughing the passer in plays that just showed poor awareness.