Football,f1 motorsports,NBA,Premier League

For my friend, Chris McLeod, it was the game he became a San Diego Chargers fan. For myself, it was one of the saddest days of my life as a Miami Dolphins fan. It’s known as the Epic in Miami – a 41-38 win by the Chargers in the Orange Bowl that changed playoff football in my eyes forever.

To watch it on television – from what I have been told – was a feeling of triumph and then despair. To watch it in person was maybe the greatest football game I have ever seen with the exception of the 31-31 tie between the Seminoles and Gators in 1996.

The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set. It was also referred to in the Miami Herald as the "Miracle That Died", while Sports Illustrated dubbed it the "Game No One Should Have Lost".

This weekend, the Dolphins and Chargers clash again, 32 years later and while there have been many other contests between the two, and all I can think of is how this writer who was 11 years old at the time, was impacted by that game forever.

The Dolphins of 2014 are trying to move forward from the 27-13 sloppy win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and focus on a San Diego Chargers passing attack that may not be as prolific as Dan Fouts and his core of wide receivers and a solid running game, but it has a chance to put up plenty of points on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins defense, however, may be as tough as the defensive unit back then under Don Shula. As a unit, it will certainly have a say in the outcome on Sunday.

JORDAN LOOKS GOOD IN FIRST GAME

According to the team’s website, defensive end Dion Jordan looked good in his first game of the 2014 season.

Jordan ended up playing 30 of the Dolphins’ 71 snaps on defense and was often used in non-passing situations, something that didn’t happen often in Jordan’s rookie season.

Jordan was credited with two tackles on defense and another one on special teams, where he got 19 snaps.

THE DEFENSE SCORES MORE THAN THE OFFENSE

The Dolphins’ long interception returns, as chronicled on Dolphins.com today, were a hot topic of conversation during the weekly day-after press conferences of Head Coach Joe Philbin and Coyle.

The Dolphins are averaging an amazing 43.2 yards on their six interception returns this season after scoring two touchdowns against Jacksonville, and both Philbin and Coyle said Monday the team spends time at practice working on that part of the game.

“A lot,” Philbin pointed out. “Kevin and the staff do a great job of teaching that. There’s semi-art to it, if you will. A lot of times we do pursuit drills and sometimes we just emphasize pure, flat-out pursuit to the ball carrier. Then there are other days where we will do an interception drill where we will turn the ball around, give guys with hand shields and we’ll set up the blocking the way we want and then coach up going down the numbers and specific blocking that we would like to get. It’s something we like to teach a lot and they take pride in it.”

Coyle said the Dolphins actually are devoting more practice time to interception returns this year than in the past.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

For my friend, Chris McLeod, it was the game he became a San Diego Chargers fan. For myself, it was one of the saddest days of my life as a Miami Dolphins fan. It’s known as the Epic in Miami – a 41-38 win by the Chargers in the Orange Bowl that changed playoff football in my eyes forever.

To watch it on television – from what I have been told – was a feeling of triumph and then despair. To watch it in person was maybe the greatest football game I have ever seen with the exception of the 31-31 tie between the Seminoles and Gators in 1996.

The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set. It was also referred to in the Miami Herald as the "Miracle That Died", while Sports Illustrated dubbed it the "Game No One Should Have Lost".

This weekend, the Dolphins and Chargers clash again, 32 years later and while there have been many other contests between the two, and all I can think of is how this writer who was 11 years old at the time, was impacted by that game forever.

The Dolphins of 2014 are trying to move forward from the 27-13 sloppy win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and focus on a San Diego Chargers passing attack that may not be as prolific as Dan Fouts and his core of wide receivers and a solid running game, but it has a chance to put up plenty of points on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins defense, however, may be as tough as the defensive unit back then under Don Shula. As a unit, it will certainly have a say in the outcome on Sunday.

JORDAN LOOKS GOOD IN FIRST GAME

According to the team’s website, defensive end Dion Jordan looked good in his first game of the 2014 season.

Jordan ended up playing 30 of the Dolphins’ 71 snaps on defense and was often used in non-passing situations, something that didn’t happen often in Jordan’s rookie season.

Jordan was credited with two tackles on defense and another one on special teams, where he got 19 snaps.

THE DEFENSE SCORES MORE THAN THE OFFENSE

The Dolphins’ long interception returns, as chronicled on Dolphins.com today, were a hot topic of conversation during the weekly day-after press conferences of Head Coach Joe Philbin and Coyle.

The Dolphins are averaging an amazing 43.2 yards on their six interception returns this season after scoring two touchdowns against Jacksonville, and both Philbin and Coyle said Monday the team spends time at practice working on that part of the game.

“A lot,” Philbin pointed out. “Kevin and the staff do a great job of teaching that. There’s semi-art to it, if you will. A lot of times we do pursuit drills and sometimes we just emphasize pure, flat-out pursuit to the ball carrier. Then there are other days where we will do an interception drill where we will turn the ball around, give guys with hand shields and we’ll set up the blocking the way we want and then coach up going down the numbers and specific blocking that we would like to get. It’s something we like to teach a lot and they take pride in it.”

Coyle said the Dolphins actually are devoting more practice time to interception returns this year than in the past.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

For my friend, Chris McLeod, it was the game he became a San Diego Chargers fan. For myself, it was one of the saddest days of my life as a Miami Dolphins fan. It’s known as the Epic in Miami – a 41-38 win by the Chargers in the Orange Bowl that changed playoff football in my eyes forever.

To watch it on television – from what I have been told – was a feeling of triumph and then despair. To watch it in person was maybe the greatest football game I have ever seen with the exception of the 31-31 tie between the Seminoles and Gators in 1996.

The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set. It was also referred to in the Miami Herald as the "Miracle That Died", while Sports Illustrated dubbed it the "Game No One Should Have Lost".

This weekend, the Dolphins and Chargers clash again, 32 years later and while there have been many other contests between the two, and all I can think of is how this writer who was 11 years old at the time, was impacted by that game forever.

The Dolphins of 2014 are trying to move forward from the 27-13 sloppy win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and focus on a San Diego Chargers passing attack that may not be as prolific as Dan Fouts and his core of wide receivers and a solid running game, but it has a chance to put up plenty of points on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins defense, however, may be as tough as the defensive unit back then under Don Shula. As a unit, it will certainly have a say in the outcome on Sunday.

JORDAN LOOKS GOOD IN FIRST GAME

According to the team’s website, defensive end Dion Jordan looked good in his first game of the 2014 season.

Jordan ended up playing 30 of the Dolphins’ 71 snaps on defense and was often used in non-passing situations, something that didn’t happen often in Jordan’s rookie season.

Jordan was credited with two tackles on defense and another one on special teams, where he got 19 snaps.

THE DEFENSE SCORES MORE THAN THE OFFENSE

The Dolphins’ long interception returns, as chronicled on Dolphins.com today, were a hot topic of conversation during the weekly day-after press conferences of Head Coach Joe Philbin and Coyle.

The Dolphins are averaging an amazing 43.2 yards on their six interception returns this season after scoring two touchdowns against Jacksonville, and both Philbin and Coyle said Monday the team spends time at practice working on that part of the game.

“A lot,” Philbin pointed out. “Kevin and the staff do a great job of teaching that. There’s semi-art to it, if you will. A lot of times we do pursuit drills and sometimes we just emphasize pure, flat-out pursuit to the ball carrier. Then there are other days where we will do an interception drill where we will turn the ball around, give guys with hand shields and we’ll set up the blocking the way we want and then coach up going down the numbers and specific blocking that we would like to get. It’s something we like to teach a lot and they take pride in it.”

Coyle said the Dolphins actually are devoting more practice time to interception returns this year than in the past.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

For my friend, Chris McLeod, it was the game he became a San Diego Chargers fan. For myself, it was one of the saddest days of my life as a Miami Dolphins fan. It’s known as the Epic in Miami – a 41-38 win by the Chargers in the Orange Bowl that changed playoff football in my eyes forever.

To watch it on television – from what I have been told – was a feeling of triumph and then despair. To watch it in person was maybe the greatest football game I have ever seen with the exception of the 31-31 tie between the Seminoles and Gators in 1996.

The game, won by the Chargers in overtime, 41–38, is one of the most famous in National Football League lore because of the conditions on the field, the performances of players on both teams, and the numerous records that were set. It was also referred to in the Miami Herald as the "Miracle That Died", while Sports Illustrated dubbed it the "Game No One Should Have Lost".

This weekend, the Dolphins and Chargers clash again, 32 years later and while there have been many other contests between the two, and all I can think of is how this writer who was 11 years old at the time, was impacted by that game forever.

The Dolphins of 2014 are trying to move forward from the 27-13 sloppy win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and focus on a San Diego Chargers passing attack that may not be as prolific as Dan Fouts and his core of wide receivers and a solid running game, but it has a chance to put up plenty of points on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins defense, however, may be as tough as the defensive unit back then under Don Shula. As a unit, it will certainly have a say in the outcome on Sunday.

JORDAN LOOKS GOOD IN FIRST GAME

According to the team’s website, defensive end Dion Jordan looked good in his first game of the 2014 season.

Jordan ended up playing 30 of the Dolphins’ 71 snaps on defense and was often used in non-passing situations, something that didn’t happen often in Jordan’s rookie season.

Jordan was credited with two tackles on defense and another one on special teams, where he got 19 snaps.

THE DEFENSE SCORES MORE THAN THE OFFENSE

The Dolphins’ long interception returns, as chronicled on Dolphins.com today, were a hot topic of conversation during the weekly day-after press conferences of Head Coach Joe Philbin and Coyle.

The Dolphins are averaging an amazing 43.2 yards on their six interception returns this season after scoring two touchdowns against Jacksonville, and both Philbin and Coyle said Monday the team spends time at practice working on that part of the game.

“A lot,” Philbin pointed out. “Kevin and the staff do a great job of teaching that. There’s semi-art to it, if you will. A lot of times we do pursuit drills and sometimes we just emphasize pure, flat-out pursuit to the ball carrier. Then there are other days where we will do an interception drill where we will turn the ball around, give guys with hand shields and we’ll set up the blocking the way we want and then coach up going down the numbers and specific blocking that we would like to get. It’s something we like to teach a lot and they take pride in it.”

Coyle said the Dolphins actually are devoting more practice time to interception returns this year than in the past.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

It appears the Jacksonville Jaguars are sticking to the game plan Frida night – having both Chad Henne and Blake Bortles playing with the first unit against the Detroit Lions.

Expect Chad Henne to play about a quarter and a half and Blake Bortles to play about a quarter. Coach Gus Bradley said he couldn’t commit to anything firmer than that. “I hate to say exact because it could be depending on reps like it was last week, but that’s the idea,” Bradley said Wednesday afternoon. Bortles is supposed to get time with the first-team offense against the Lions, but whether that means he’ll be working with the first-team offense the entire time he’s on the field has not been determined. This according to Michael DiRocco and ESPN.com.

Henne has been steady this preseason, accounting for the team’s only passing touchdown in the team’s loss at Chicago last week. It has been Bortles who has been the talk of the NFL preseason, looking sharp and ahead of the learning curve in offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch’s offense so far this preseason.

The team also announced that Jacques McClendon will start at center against the Lions. Which player comes in next is uncertain, Bradley said. It’s most likely going to be Mike Brewster, who has started the first two preseason games, but sixth-round pick Luke Bowanko is an option.

Bowanko returned to practice on Tuesday after suffering a sprained ankle in last Thursday’s loss to Chicago and took some reps at center on Wednesday. “We’ll find out how he handled today and that, depending on how well he did, will determine our rotation.”

Bowanko is drafted in a pick obtained from San Francisco for former starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.

Also, it has been announced that receiver Cecil Shorts and linebacker Dekoda Watson are scheduled to make their preseason debuts. Bradley said they will get the playing time starters normally would in the first preseason game: about 15 snaps. “We’ll see how the situations present themselves,” Bradley said. “The thing to look for with those guys [is] we’ll try to take them out if it’s extended drives.”

Shorts has been out of action with a calf injury. He is the team’s leading pass catcher from last season. He is expected to line up across from rookie Marquis Lee, who caught four balls and a touchdown in the first quarter of last week’s game against the Bears.

In other news…

According to Jaguars.com, signed first-year fullback Eric Kettani and waived/injured tight end Fendi Onobun(knee).

Kettani, 5-11, 240, was originally signed as a rookie free agent by New England in 2009 and had to leave training camp in July of 2009 for military commitments.  He was reinstated to the Patriots roster in September of 2011 and spent part of the season on the club’s practice squad.  Kettani spent the entire 2012 season on Washington’s practice squad and was with Kansas City for the 2014 offseason before he was waived on May 12.

A native of Kirtland, Ohio, Kettani was a four-year letterman at Navy where he rushed for 2,091 yards and 15 touchdowns on 395 carries.  He led the team with 982 rushing yards as a senior on 190 carries.  As a junior in 2007, he compiled 880 yards along with 10 touchdowns. Kettani was a three-year letterman at Lake Catholic High School in Ohio where was named the Cleveland Plain Dealer Defensive Player of the Year.

The Dolphins got the monkey off their backs on Saturday night with a 20-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The first team offense (according to miamidolphins.com) didn’t experience quite the success they did a week ago, Ryan Tannehill still moved the ball efficiently down the field in all three of his series, and got some help from guys like Rishard Matthews and Jarvis Landry, who continued to make a name for themselves tonight. On the other side of the ball, the defensive line, led by Cameron Wake and Randy Starks, looked to be in midseason form all night long, while cornerback Brent Grimes made the game-changing play of the game midway through the second quarter.

But a win is a win, and in the preseason, progression is most important. The Dolphins are trying to improve on an offense that let Tannehill down at the end of the season and to establish a solid running game.

Here are three things the team took from the win Saturday night according to miamidolphins.com.

COMFORTABLE TAKING CHANCES

Tannehill looks very comfortable operating the new offensive system and his execution is giving this offense a chance to create game changing plays. The football is coming out quickly and is helping the protection up front for the offensive lineman.

Backup quarterback Matt Moore saw his first action of the preseason and responded by playing with command and confidence. His stellar training camp play carried over to the live action and his anticipation and general feel for this offense has been a pleasure to watch over the last two weeks.

EVERYONE GETS A TOUCH

It’s easy to see why I’m a big fan of this entire receiving group. Sixteen different players had a reception against Tampa Bay and some of these players are starting to separate from the pack. Veteran slot wideout Brandon Gibson looks to be healthy and gives this offense a vertical threat in the middle of the field. The same holds true for rookie Jarvis Landry. This combination inside will give opposing defense matchup problems because the can create with their route running and always give the quarterback a window to deliver the football.

It was also nice to see wide receiver Damian Williams flash versus the Bucs and get opportunities to show in a game what he has been able to do throughout training camp. If the Dolphins keep six at wide receiver, he’s currently the leader in the clubhouse for that final spot in my mind.

IMPROVEMENTS UP AND DOWN THE DEFENSE

I wasn’t ready to go into panic mode after the Atlanta game, and I’m not thinking the Dolphins defense is where it needs to be after their uneven performance against Tampa Bay either. My belief is that this unit still hasn’t come close to executing to the level of talent that is on the roster, but is closing the gap. The push in the pass rush was much more frequent and the linebacking unit fit the run with more discipline. Next week’s game at home against a potent offense in the Cowboys should give us a clear indication of this entire group and hopefully a better understanding of what to expect in the regular season.

Blake Bortles is going to get a chance to show what he can do with the Jacksonville Jaguars first unit, but the team is still committed to starting Chad Henne the first week of the season.

ESPN’s Michael DiRocco wrote in his blog that Coach Gus Bradley said Friday that the team isn\'t wavering in its stance that veteran Chad Henne will start in Week 1, even though Bortles -- the third overall pick in this year\'s draft -- has been impressive in the Jaguars\' first two preseason games and regardless of what he does against the Lions.

"I think it\'s just the body of work, the experience [that Henne has]," Bradley said. "You can grow with Blake, too, and let him go through these experiences and do well, but the team is really responding to both of them really well. But I just think that with where Chad is at right now and where our team is at, I think that\'s the best thing for us right now.

"There\'s going to be some time that we have to take a look at this and see the direction we\'re going [at quarterback], but right now that\'s not even a question in our mind."

If any rookie quarterback has made an impression his preseason so, it has been Bortles, who in two games against both the Buccaneers and Bears, has come out and proved inexperience has not been a hindrance to him at all.

Bortles has completed 18 of 28 passes for 277 yards in the first two preseason games. He went 7-of-11 in his debut against Tampa Bay, and three of his four incompletions were drops. He was 11-of-17 for 160 yards in the Jaguars\' 20-19 loss to Chicago on Thursday night, although 45 yards came on a meaningless play at the end of the first half.

As the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, Bortles was told early on he would more than likely learn the offense in his first season, then step in as the starter in 2015. So far, Bortles has given the coaching staff something to think about.

The Jaguars have made it a point to get other rookies first-team reps as well, which is a philosophy that Bradley brought with him from Seattle, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012. Bortles, however, hasn\'t had any in training camp.

"Our whole philosophy is to get our rookies in with the 1s and I believe we\'ve got to get that done this week, where we get Blake with the 1s this week to see just how he handles it," Bradley said.

Henne also played well against the Bears, completing 12 of 17 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown while leading the first-team offense to 166 yards and 13 points in four possessions. That\'s in stark contrast to its performance in the preseason opener against Tampa Bay, when the Jaguars managed just 4 net yards in four possessions and Henne completed 4 of 7 passes for 30 yards.

Henne threw the only touchdown pass of the game in a 21-19 loss in Chicago. Both quarterbacks looked good in their time on the field. Henne was involved in 30 plays from scrimmage before the end of the first half, giving way to the rookie.

IN OTHER NEWS (FROM JAGUARS.COM)

Wide receiver Cecil Shorts III couldn’t have been happier Sunday.

Linebacker Dekoda Watson couldn’t have, either.

Yes, Shorts said he could have done without the rust he felt. And Watson said if he had has his way, this day would have come a whole lot sooner, but that wasn’t what mattered most to Shorts or Watson on Sunday afternoon. What mattered was this: After way too long without football, they practiced again. And that was good. Really good.

“It felt good just to be back out there with the guys,” Shorts said after the Jaguars worked for about two hours at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields Sunday.