MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Senior writer John Oehser examines five key plays from the Jaguars’ 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in a 2024 Week 1 game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday

1. Wow. The Jaguars pushed an early lead to two touchdowns with the most memorable play of the first half – and a play by rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. that ranks as one of the better catches in recent Jaguars memory. This came a series after a pass defensed by veteran linebacker Foye Oluokun gave the Jaguars possession at their 45. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence's 30-yard pass down the middle of the field to wide receiver Christian Kirk converted third-and-eight from the Jaguars 47, then the Jaguars' drive appeared to stall when they faced third-and-11 at the Dolphins 14. Lawrence then threw a high, touch pass into the back of the end zone and Thomas – running across the back of the end zone – made an athletic reception and touched two feet down in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:21 remaining in the half. "That was a designed play for me to get over there," Thomas said. "Trevor just trusted me and gave me enough air to get up under it."

2. Fuuuuumble. The Jaguars had momentum and a chance to all but secure victory late in the third quarter. A key fumble by running back Travis Etienne Jr. cost the Jaguars that chance and gave the Dolphins momentum. First, the Jaguars made one of their biggest defensive stops of the game when defensive end Travon Walker sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to push Miami out of field-goal range and force a punt. The Jaguars drove impressively on their ensuing possession, but Etienne fumbled after a 10-yard run to the Dolphins three-yard line. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland recovered in the end zone for a touchback, with Tagovailoa's 80-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill on the ensuing play cutting the lead to 17-14 with 2:08 remaining in the third quarter. "I just have to be better for my team," Etienne said. "I just have to be better in that situation for my teammates and myself, understand the ball's the most important thing and hold on to it with two hands. We can't have those things come up in critical situations. I hate that for myself and for my teammates because they believe in me and I believe in me. I try to be better for them in that situation. I have to flush it and find a way to be better and be better for them."

3. Big play for the rookie – and a touchdown. The Jaguars turned in an impressive drive featuring multiple explosive plays to take a 7-0 lead when Etienne scored on a one-yard run with 4:31 remaining in the first quarter. Thomas turned in the biggest play of the drive one play before the touchdown, beating Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey deep on a play-action deep pass from Lawrence and drawing a 40-yard interference call on Ramsey in the end zone. "I was mad because I missed the throw," Lawrence said. "He (Thomas) did a great job." The touchdown capped a six-play, 96-yard drive that began with a 17-yard run by second-year running back Tank Bigsby, who rushed twice for 25 yards on the drive.

4. Big stops and near misses. A low-scoring first half surprised some observers, making the first two quarters largely about near misses and momentum changes. The Dolphins missed an early opportunity when they couldn't convert fourth-and-eight from the Jaguars 42, stalling an early drive that featured a 39-yard reception by running back De'Von Archane. The Jaguars missed a potential first-down early in the second quarter when Kirk dropped a catchable pass that would have turned third down into a first down. Perhaps the Jaguars' biggest defensive play of the half came early in the second quarter, when Oluokun broke up a fourth-down pass from Tagovailoa, marking the second fourth-down stop of the game for the Jaguars. It preserved a 7-0 lead with 11:52 remaining in the second quarter. "The guys battled," Head Coach Doug Pederson said. "The defense stepped up and made some stops."five-key-plays-that-sealed-the-jaguars-20-17-loss-to-the-dolphins-in-week-1-k000002

5. Too many struggles. While the second half was defined by Etienne's lost fumble in the red zone, the Jaguars' loss in a very real sense was just as defined by the offense's struggles throughout the final two quarters. The Jaguars took a 17-7 halftime lead and had possession to start the second half. They managed 12 yards and no first downs on the first two second-half possessions. "We didn't score any points in the second half," Lawrence said. "That's something that can't happen if we're going to win a lot of games, which is the plan. We have to score more." The Jaguars drove 94 yards on their third possession of the second half, a drive that ended with Etienne's fumble into the end zone, but managed just one first down on five other second-half possessions. "That's the only good drive we had the whole half," Lawrence said of the 94-yarder.