What Jaguars are Emphasizing Most Against Dolphins Offense

Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and the Jacksonville Jaguars defense will have their work cut out for them against the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars' DC has been vocal about the unit playing sound football.

Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen gives instructions to Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95) and defensive end Tyler Lacy (93) during the fourth day of the NFL football training camp practice session Saturday, July 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium's Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Jacksonville Jaguars are days away from lining up against arguably the best offense in the National Football League, the Miami Dolphins. The Jaguars brought defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to help take their defense to the next level. His defense will be tested immediately.

Nielsen will have to game plan for all of the variations of plays the Dolphins’ talented players on offense allow them to call. Many of those plays are strategically designed to stress defenses, forcing them to play undisciplined football.

Nielsen has emphasized to the Jaguars’ defense the importance of focusing on the right things before the ball is snapped. 

“We talk about align and adjust when the pre-snap, when they break the huddle, we make our calls, and our coverage calls, and our guys have got to get lined up quick because there is so much shift, trade, and motion,” Nielsen said. “Get in a stance, get your eyes on the right spot, and then be prepared for the adjustment. College football, NFL, it's all the same; high school: line up, and then somebody's going to move today in any level. I mean, somebody's moving. The receiver's moving, tight end trade, backs moving. 

“So, we’ve got to be ahead of those shift, trade, motions for our guys to go out there and be ahead of the coverage call, ‘Hey, we're going to go from this to this, or we’ve got to slide the line,’ or something like that. So, we're on our guys about every single call. Then what's going to happen? Just don't sit there and be like, ‘Hey, they're going to snap the ball.’ We're going to get a shift, trade, motion every snap. That's what we've been practicing. We've been practicing that since OTAs. It’s just how the game is today.”

Few defenses around the league have the type of challenge on their hands that the Jaguars’ defense does in Week 1 against the Dolphins. It will be critical for Nielsen’s defense to be prepared for all the Dolphins offense brings to the table.

It will undoubtedly be a challenge to do so, but Nielsen has a way of getting the most out of his defenses. 

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