Is Saturday’s Dolphins-Jaguars preseason game a playoff preview?

Trevor Lawrence.

On Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Miami Dolphins in the third and final preseason game for both teams.

If the season plays out as each team believes it can, the two Florida squads could see one another again in January when the playoffs roll around.

Both teams must answer some questions to be playing after the regular season concludes.

Tua’s health not the only question for Dolphins

For the Dolphins, question number one is about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s durability. There are other concerns.

The team’s biggest free agency addition, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, is still working his way back from a training camp knee injury. The addition of Ramsey and new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio were the biggest moves made to bolster the defense in the offseason.

Then there is the biggest hurdle to overcome for the Dolphins, their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills. Miami can, of course, make the playoffs as a wild card team, but winning the division and earning at least one home playoff game make the postseason path much more palatable. Last season, the Dolphins split the season series with the Bills, winning 21-19 in September in South Florida before losing in Buffalo in December 32-29 on a last-second Bills’ field goal.

The gap between the two teams was negligible in head-to-head matchups, but when Tagovailoa was out of the lineup, the Dolphins won just one of four games in the regular season.

Jaguars’ offenses ready, are the lines?

The Jaguars caught fire midway through the 2022 season and resulted in the AFC South championship and a memorable 27-point comeback win in the playoffs over the Los Angeles Chargers. As Doug Pederson begins his second season as the Jacksonville head coach, expectations around the team are as high as they have been in years.

The Jaguars are the consensus pick to win the AFC South (as much about the Jaguars’ improvement as the questions about the other teams in the division). Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is on a trajectory to become one of the premier quarterbacks in the game.

Calvin Ridley’s addition should bolster the Jaguars offense. Ridley was acquired in a trade during last season. Ridley had to sit out a league suspension for gambling and rehab from a foot injury. Now he is healthy and motivated. In training camp, he has looked poised to return to his previous form as a true number-one receiver.

But Ridley isn’t alone. Receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones and tight end Evan Engram all enjoyed career years last season. Travis Etienne will be joined at running back by rookie Tank Bigsby and Lawrence and the rest of the returners say they are far more comfortable in Pederson’s offense than they were at this time last year when they were still learning the intricacies of the system.

Trenches are key for Jaguars

For the Jaguars, the questions are on each line. Specifically, the health of the offensive line and the performance of the defensive front, particularly when it comes to rushing the passer.

The Jaguars will start the regular season with left tackle Cam Robinson watching as he serves a four-game suspension for violating the league’s ban on performance enhancers. Walker Little is expected to start at left tackle to begin the season, though he also took snaps at left guard with Robinson at left tackle last week in the Jaguars preseason win over the Detroit Lions. At left guard, Ben Bartch will make his preseason debut Saturday. Tyler Shatley is still working his way back after an irregular heartbeat put him on the shelf. At right tackle, rookie first-round pick Anton Harrison has looked the part but is battling a shoulder injury that could be a season-long irritant.

Defensively, the Jaguars must improve their sack totals from a year ago. In 2022 they totaled just 35 sacks, fewer than two per game. The Jaguars led the league in quarterback knockdowns, so they were close. They must turn those knockdowns into sacks this season. That falls on the shoulders of Josh Allen and second year outside linebacker Travon Walker. If Walker can take a big step forward, the Jaguars pass rush would benefit. Walker is one to keep an eye on Saturday night.