Justin Blackmon had a pretty big day, not that it gave the Jags a win.  Source: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

The lone highlight for the Jaguars in their Sunday matchup against the Dolphins was Cecil Shorts III continuing his march 1,000 yards.

The Jaguar passing attack was slightly less anemic than the rushing attack.  Perhaps calling them “attack” is a departure from the truth.  Montell Owens came back to earth after averaging 5.7 yards per carry entering the game.  Owens contributed just 47 yards on 11 carries.  The Jaguars could never control the clock because of the poor running and the game got away from them.  The Dolphins controlled the ball for 34 minutes and never let the Jags find a rhythm.

Ryan Tannehill had a big day with two touchdowns and 220 yards while completing 22 of 28 passes.  He also contributed 52 yards on the ground.  Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano were the major recipients for Tannehill, totaling 11 receptions for 133.  Fasano and Jorvorskie Lane caught Tannehill’s two touchdowns.  Reggie Bush helped control the clock with 104 rushing yards on 21 carries.

The Jaguars special teams unit was able to limit Marcus Thigpen to only 19 return yards on two kickoff returns.  The highlight of the game for the Jaguars was the play of Justin Blackmon and Shorts.  Shorts finished the game with 101 yards on six receptions.  Blackmon had 93 yards on six receptions.  Both had longs of 30+ with a 30 yard reception for Shorts and a 38 yard reception for Blackmon.

The story of the game was largely the inability of the Jacksonville defense to get the Miami offense off the field.  Tyson Alualu contributed a sack and Jason Babin forced a fumble, but the positives end there.  The Jags were steamrolled by the Dolphins as they found their groove and showed that their rebuild is much further along than the Jaguars’.

- Luke N. Sims

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He was the man, but now he’s not.  Source:  Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday in Miami two state rivals will play each other. Neither of them have a hopes of the playoffs. The Jaguars are already eliminated, the Dolphins on the brink of it. The game itself is not a big deal as well. One of the teams has started rebuilding under a new QB and head coach the other will push the reset button again after 4 years of building to nowhere. Still, even this meaningless game has a twist. 2 words: Chad Henne. He was drafted by the Dolphins in the 2nd round of the ’08 draft to become the next Dan Marino. After 4 years of inconsistency and injuries, the new Dolphins coaching staff selected a new QB, Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill and moved on. Henne, although he was open to returning, had to search for a new team. A new home was found in the same state, and for the past month he has been the starting QB for the Jaguars. After 2 really good performances, the veteran signal caller had 2 not so good games (1 rushing and passing TD but 3 interceptions and a lost fumble) and people are starting to doubt that he is the starting QB for the Jaguars in ’13. Now he’ll face a team and defense he used to throw against in practice the last 4 years. Can this bring back his groove or will the struggles and concern about him continue? Let’s dig deeper.
The good news for Henne and the Jaguars is Cecil Shorts will return to the starting lineup after a 1 week hiatus. If his concussion does not limit his performance, the 2nd year wideout could have another great day, and move closer to 1,000 yards receiving; something every Jaguar receiver has failed to do since Jimmy Smith retired in 2005. The good news is, if there is a weak point in the Dolphins defense, it is the secondary. CB Sean Smith had a very rough day against the 49ers last week, and although he is the best cornerback on the roster he is a bit inconsistent. Nolan Carroll became his partner after Vontae Davis was traded to Indianapolis for a 2nd round pick right before the regular season. He hasn’t recorded a pick yet (although he has a sack). The two safeties have had more luck. Chris Clemons has 2 and Reshad Jones has a team high 3 picks. The 3rd year S has had a really good year, if there is somebody in the Dolphins secondary who is able to make plays,  it’s him. Henne played at least 2 seasons together with everyone from this unit, so they know each other quite well.We will see who’ll benefit from this more.

If the Jags can’t stop Wake, then this one is over.  Source: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The bad news for Henne and the Jaguars is the Miami D-line which is maybe the best pass rushing unit the team has faced so far. Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle can be really proud of this unit, especially DE Cameron Wake. The standout DE has recorded exactly the same amount of sacks as the entire Jaguars defense in 2012: 14. He is even more dangerous on 3rd or 4th down situations, where he is ranked 1st in productivity! He has recorded 8 out of his 14 sacks during these situations. Making things worse, he will face Cameron Bradfield who has struggled in the last few weeks, and he was especially bad when he faced elite pass rushers like Mario Williams, JJ Watt and Brian Robison. That is a huge mismatch for the Jaguars. Eugene Monroe will face Jared Odrick, who has collected 4 sacks this season. Monroe can handle him, but once again he must help out a new LG; a player who has never played a snap in the NFL before. Austin Pasztor will start at LG this week after Eben Britton blew his last chance to prove he has a spot on this roster. Pasztor, like Monroe, is a Virginia product, and the two players played together in Monroe’s senior season. However, he will face Randy Starks, one of the better interior defensive linemen of the NFL. Starks is 2nd behind Wake in sacks with 4.5 It will be an extremely tough matchup for the rookie. The other DT, Paul Soliai has has a quieter year, with only 1.5 sacks. Let’s hope Uche Nwaneri can handle him so Meester can help out Pasztor guarding Starks. A quick note, Tony McDaniel is still on the Dolphins roster. He was traded to Miami before the 2009 season. Yes, he just have 0.5 sacks and 8 tackles, but he is contributing for a very good defensive line. The Jaguars and Gene Smith valued him as 7th round pick… The player the Jaguars drafted with the pick, Tiquan Underwoood, meanwhile is long gone (he is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now)…
Behind the great D-line there is a strong LB unit led by Karlos Dansby, the leading tackler for Miami (105- 79 solo). The other 2 starters, Kevin Burnett and Koa Misi, are also reliable, and all have sacks. Luckily for the Jaguars Misis, (who adds 3.5 to the 37 sacks) is ruled out. His backup Jason Trusnik had some run stopping issues against the 49ers.That being said, Montell Owens and Richard Murphy will face a tougher task running the ball this week. Owens was great when he started last week.  By the way, Chad Henne will not be the only one to play against familiar faces. The chess game continues between offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski and Dolphins defensive coordinator Levin Coyle who worked together for a decade in Cincinnati. They know each other’s play calling and schemes very well, so it will be interesting to see which coordinator will have bigger advantage!

Can Tannehill be the difference maker?  Source:  Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s see how Tannehill and his teammates match up against the Jaguars defense. This duel will be similar to the last 2 games. Like the Bills and the Jets, the Dolphins also have a very powerful running game lead by Reggie Bush who’s having a decent year. Behind him there is a great rushing tandem in Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller. The backups are so promisingly productive, that most likely Miami will let Bush walk away after the season! The Jaguars must face all 3 of them plus FB Jorvorskie Lane, who is used in goal line situations and has 2 TDs as well. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have allowed 408 yards rushing in the last 2 games. 242 against Buffalo and 166 yards against the Jets last Sunday. You can expect that the Dolphins will pound the rock as well with their backs on Sunday. If the Jaguars defense can’t stop them they can win with an average performance by Tannehill. Fitzpatrick and Sanchez were a game managers at best in the last 2 weeks and the Jaguars still lost to both QBs…
If the Jags can stop the run, then their chances for success increase dramatically.  After some promising games, this year’s 8th pick, Ryan Tannehill, shows signs of struggling. Some say he has hit a wall in the last few weeks. He has thrown more picks (12) than TDs (8). Without Jake Long, this has become an increasing problem. The Nr. 1 pick of ’08 is on IR, and rookie RT Jonathan Martin is now protecting Tannehill’s blind side. He had a really tough day against Aldon Smith (but seriously who hasn’t this season?…). If he faces Jason Babin (as he should) the Jaguars All-Pro DE should make a play or 2 against the rookie. Babin had 3 sacks last season when the Dolphins played against the Eagles.  That is a good sign. At RT things aren’t looking great either. Nate Garner has just 10 starts in his 5th year as a pro. So if the Jaguars defense can’t boost the sack number against these 2 tackles, I don’t know when they can. Jeremy Mincey needs to step up, because, quite frankly, he is having a similar terrible like Marcedes Lewis had last year after he got paid. But at least Lewis could have the excuse of not being on the same page with his rookie QB last year. What is Mincey’s excuse for his really poor performance in ’12? The interior line of the Dolphins is solid with C Mike Pouncey and Gs Richie Incognito and John Jerry. Plus I’m now at the phase where expecting any positive impact from the Jaguars DTs besides maybe CJ Mosley is just a dream anyway…
Tannehill will face the Jaguars secondary without his 2nd best WR, Davone Bess. So the Jaguars can focus on Brian Hartline who’s having an outstanding year. He is just 75 yards shy from crossing the 1000 receiving yard line, and he could do it this Sunday. The Dolphins have a really reliable TE in Anthony Fasano who has the most TD catches on the roster (4). Bess will most likely be replaced by Marlon Moore, and the Dolphins signed Arnon Binns this week, so he can prove the Jaguars wrong after they cut him last year when they announced their final roster. As for the Jaguars secondary, I am looking forward to seeing 2 things: 1) Derek Cox play a game from start to finish without injuries and breakdowns. If he wants a good deal after the season he must take out Hartline all by himself. 2) The playing time for Mike Harris and Rashean Mathis. Harris is starting to become a decent surprise lately, he is now even starting at CB instead of  the Jaguars All-Pro corner. Since Mathis will become a FA after the season, Harris could take over his position if he plays well in the last few games.
Special teams wise the Dolphins are a mixed bag. They have a very dangerous returner in Marcus Thigpen who already scored 1-1 TDs each in punt and kick returns. However, for example last week, the Dolphins ST unit made 2 costly errors, like a muffed punt by Thigpen helped the 49ers to their first TD. The Jaguars ST unit lost one of their premium gunners by waiving Kevin Elliott this week.  I wonder how John Bonamego’s unit will perform with losing key ST players on a weekly basis.
I seriously don’t know what to expect from tis game. Miami has the defense and the running game to beat the Jaguars easily. But Chad Henne is a major X-factor for this game. If he brings his A-game and Shorts is the Cecil Shorts we have seen all year long, then they can be the spark that could make this game very close. Not to mention the chess match between Bratkowksi and Coyle who know each other’s  schemes better than anybody. I see a close game, but I pick the home team on this one. The Jaguars have faced two not-so-good teams in the last 2 weeks and they lost both games.  Despite their record I think Miami is better than the Bills and the Jets. I think because of Henne we will see a close game, but I think in the end South Florida will be a little bit happier place than the Northeast part of the state.
Prediction: Dolphins 21 – Jaguars 17

- Zoltan Paksa

We start the series off with the quarterbacks.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: Rodgers is the most efficient quarterback the Jaguars will face during the season.  The guy deserves another ring and has the firepower to go out and get it.  If the Packers even remotely have a running game then the efficiency of Rodgers becomes even more formidable.
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots: The Jags draw the Patriots, of course.  If Rodgers if the model of efficiency, then Brady is the legend that helped form the mold that Rodgers fits in.  It doesn’t seem to matter who Brady is throwing to, because someone will catch the ball (unless it’s Wes Welker in the Super Bowl).  The guy makes people look good.
3. Matt Schaub, Houston Texans (x2): The Jags play Schaub twice each season – barring injury – and will wish that T.J. Yates was starting again.  Schaub is a big time quarterback with a big time target in Andre Johnson.  He can light it up or dink and dunk you for whatever yardage best fits the offense for the day.
4. 

   Matt Stafford has a serious opportunity to break Drew Brees' single season yards record. Why not this season? Source: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

   Matt Stafford, Detroit Lions: The Lions rely entirely on Stafford’s arm.  The guy is the youngest to break 5,000 passing yards.  He is a formidable quarterback who is not afraid to sling it.

5. Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: Like Stafford, Cutler is not afraid to sling the football.  His 26 interceptions two years ago were a problem, but his career high outside of 2009 was 18 (and he only had 7 in 10 games last season).  Cutler will do even better than usual in an offense not designed by Mike Martz.
6. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills: Fitzpatrick should not be underestimated.  The rifle for Buffalo can thread the needle when he wants to and has talent that far surpasses his win-loss ratio.
7. Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee Titans (x2): Hasselbeck is an ex-Super Bowl quarterback.  While he may lose the job to Jake Locker, I expect he’ll be able to fend off the younger guy and may even surpass expectations.  His 61.6 completion percentage and his 3,700 yards last year were the highest in four seasons and the highest since the Seahawks went 10-6 under his arm.
8. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals: I have been an Andy Dalton fan since his days at TCU, but I he is not as good as the other quarterbacks on this list.  He probably won’t be torching any defenses this season (especially if he gets a sophomore slump), but he has the skills to get that good.
9. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: Sanchez is a winner, somehow he gets his team to the playoffs and succeeds.  The bad news?  He is only 27-20 in his three seasons and is coming off an 8-8 campaign.  The good news?  He threw 26 touchdowns last season.
10. Carson Palmer, Oakland Raiders: I believe that Palmer can turn his game around in Oakland.  Unfortunately, his statistics from last year don’t affirm my faith.  16 interceptions in 10 games doesn’t bode well for him next year.
11. Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags have their hands full getting Gabbert to be the best he can be.  Fortunately, his TD-Int ratio isn’t bad.  It just isn’t great either.  He should benefit from a full offseason and hopefully won’t succumb to checkdown syndrome.
12. Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder does not get the same attention as Blaine Gabbert does for being supremely underwhelming in his rookie year.  Like Gabbert, he was supposed to play behind a veteran quarterback for the season but was pressed into service for 11 games – starting 10.  His 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions are not impressive and neither is his 1,853 yards.
13. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts: I would put Andre Luck higher, but I am expecting gains from the two second year players above him.  Luck could have a good year but we ultimately won’t know until the season starts.  If he has a rookie season like Peyton Manning, then Luck shouldn’t be any trouble for defenses in 2012.
14. Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins: I do not have a definitive opinion of Tannehill just yet.  I do not think he was worth the eighth overall pick though and I do not think he will have a great time in Miami during his first season, especially when Chad Ochocinco is the top man on his receiving depth chart.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims