Jacksonville Jaguars 2020 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

4. Vs. Miami Dolphins

One of the most intriguing matchups on Jacksonville’s schedule is its matchup with in-state rival Miami. The only battle of Florida that is scheduled to take place in 2020 will feature Jacksonville as the home team (although this is currently one of six games eligible to be played in London).

Like the Jaguars, the Dolphins are rebuilding, but they are much further along in their own process than Jacksonville is. Miami built a roster designed to tank in 2019 but won five games anyway thanks to tremendous coaching from Brian Flores.

The players down in Miami have clearly bought into what Flores is preaching, and the Dolphins threw around some big money to improve the roster in free agency. All of those trades the Dolphins made last season have also given the franchise a ton of draft capital, which it can use to find its next quarterback and fill out the roster.

While the Dolphins are a better team than they were in 2019, they are still a very young group. The rebuild should take a bit longer with a potential rookie quarterback under center, so this is a game the Jaguars can find a way to win.

This contest is also a good measuring stick for Marrone’s team to see how they stack up against their in-state rivals. A loss to the Dolphins would confirm that Jacksonville is further away from winning than Miami is, which would not be good.