Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence ready for tune-up game vs. Dolphins in preseason Week 3

The Jacksonville Jaguars return to EverBank Stadium on Saturday to take on the Miami Dolphins in the team's final preseason game, and the only one at home for 2023.

Jacksonville won both of its previous preseason contests, defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 and the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of the preseason. They'll look to go undefeated in the preseason for the first — and only — time in franchise history since 1997.

The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m. and will air locally on CBS47 and on Jaguars radio, 1010XL (1010 AM and 92.5 FM).

It will be the first opportunity for Jaguars fans to take a look at the 2023 squad against another opponent, something Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Wednesday that he was looking forward to.

“I can’t wait," said Lawrence. "First one, next time we’ll be in here will be Week 2 against Kansas City. That’ll be fun. Seven o’clock game is a little late for a preseason game, but it’ll be good though. It’ll be good to see The Bank packed. It won’t be as hot so I am happy about that.”

However, playing in front of the home crowd and getting a win isn't all Jacksonville is shooting for as it prepares for the regular season. They'll look to continue evaluating the roster as they get ready to trim the roster to 53 players Tuesday.

"This is a big game because if Miami comes out and wants to play their starters, which I’m anticipating them doing, I want to see some of our younger players go against starting-caliber players in this league," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Friday. "That’s another way of evaluating the roster that you have."

Jaguars to play starters until about halftime

Pederson announced Monday that the team will play its starters for around one-to-two quarters against the Dolphins. That hasn't changed as Pederson reiterated Thursday that it will be important for the offense to get into a rhythm prior to Week 1 of the regular season.

"Clean operation. You want the starters to go in there, and you remember what happened in the Dallas game. First series, and we turned the ball over. You don’t want that. You want them to go in there and execute the offense," said Pederson.

"We still don’t gameplan these games. We just want to execute our plays and get the starters working together for a number of snaps. Try to eliminate mistakes; try to eliminate errors; things like that. Try to play a clean football game, at least for the first half.”

Lawrence hopes to end the preseason on a high note as they turn their attention over to Week 1 opponent, the Indianapolis Colts.

"It’ll be good to get a little bit more work this week and however much that ends up being, just go play well. I think that’s the biggest thing for us; let’s be clean, let’s execute, take advantage of all the possessions we get offensively, and just go through our plan to execute," said Lawrence.

"I think that’s the main focus, you want to feel good about that. Especially the last one going into the regular season, let’s end on a good note and get ready for the season.”

Dolphins starters to play more than a series, less than a half

Similar to Pederson, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was a bit coy about how long his starters would suit up for against Jacksonville. Still, he said this week that he does plan for the starters to play, in some capacity.

“My plan has been, in the back of my mind, the starting point was more than a series, less than a half for all the starters,” McDaniel said via the SunSentinel. “That is dependent on today’s practice. Overall, you’re just trying to prepare guys for the regular season.

“I had, in the back of my mind, if all things were even, Tua would play on Saturday, but that’s something that I’ll revisit with the coaches after we’ve completed this practice to kind of solidify that. … He’s prepared as if he is playing.”

It's likely that Tagovailoa will suit up and play against the Jaguars and Lawrence, the team's second opportunity to see the former Alabama star in action. The last time Jacksonville faced off against the Dolphins and Tagovailoa was in 2021 in London. The team's first victory of that year.

Three things to watch for in Jaguars-Dolphins matchup

Unlike the previous two weeks, Saturday's game will be the first time that the Jaguars' starting units will play extensively.

In Week 1 of the preseason against the Cowboys, Jacksonville quickly pulled its starting defenders after just nine plays and two drives. The starting unit gave up seven net yards. They did not play in Week 2 against the Lions.

The offensive starters played a bit longer, 13 snaps, as Pederson wanted to see the unit execute after an interception and a punt ended their first two drives.

Will the Lawrence-Ridley connection continue to take shape?

The most talked about player Jacksonville has had in training camp this year is receiver Calvin Ridley after the team acquired the wideout from the Atlanta Falcons last year. Ridley missed all of last season due to a year-long suspension but suited up for the first time since 2021 in an NFL game this preseason.

Now, Jaguars fans will have an opportunity to see him up close and personal against another opponent on Saturday for an extended period of time.

Throughout camp, Ridley and Lawrence have worked on developing chemistry between each other. While there have been some lapses, the progress made between the two was substantial.

"I think me and Calvin [WR Calvin Ridley] are just clicking more and more every day," said Lawrence. "I think it’s been really great, we got some great work in. I like the direction that we’re heading in, just got to keep getting better every day."

What will the Jaguars' offensive line look like?

One of the most perplexing units on the Jaguars' offense this offseason has been its offensive line. While the unit itself is flowing with depth, injuries and a looming suspension have cast some doubt as to how it will take shape.

Jaguars left guard Tyler Shatley is currently out due to experiencing AFib a couple of weeks back, while fellow guard Ben Bartch is making his way back to the lineup after starting camp on the team's active/PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.

Cam Robinson, the team's starting left tackle last year, is set to begin a four-game suspension to open the regular season. Because of that, he has been relegated to the team's second-string unit with Walker Little taking over the reins. The team is also starting a rookie right tackle, Anton Harrison, who has flashed potential throughout camp.

Keeping Lawrence upright is the priority and there are plenty of questions with the unit until they can play consistently.

Jacksonville also has a slew of injuries on the line that they are nursing.

How will defense handle speed of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle?

While the Jaguars starting defense got to play against the Cowboys in Week 1, they did so against backups with Dallas resting all of its starters.

With the Dolphins set to play its starters for some time, it will be the team's first opportunity to see the defense in action, including starting cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Darious Willaims against serious talent.

Tyson Campbell receives high praise: Calvin Ridley recognizes Campbell

The Dolphins boast the fastest receiving corps in the league with Tyreek Hill and Jaylon Waddle. Both players went well over 1,000 receiving yards last year and averaged 14.4 and 18.1 yards per reception, respectively.

Campbell and Williams will get a chance to face off against the two early, while nickel cornerback Tre Herndon will man the slot, likely rotating with second-year player Gregory Junior for some time during the first half.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars, Lawrence set to take on Dolphins in preseason Week 3