Florida Sports Wire

  The shock is over, and the proverbial smoke has cleared. The Jaguars can start to look ahead t0 2026.  Liam Coen’s first year at the helm gave the Jacksonville faithful the first few pages of a new chapter in franchise history in which they can now be considered as perennial AFC South title contenders. Trevor Lawrence may have finally unlocked the door to his long-awaited generational talent and also being among the league quarterback elite class. Based on his playoff exit against Buffalo, we’ll wait and see.  Anthony Campanile regenerated the much-maligned defense -notably the secondary - and quickly gained respect as a defensive coordinator to the point of getting interviews for head coaching jobs. Low-profile offensive coordinator Grant Udinski is on the Browns’ list of potential head coaching candidates, and he also has been mentioned as the Eagles’ possible new OC. Cam Little has become an instant thought as a three-point option from more than 60 yards away.  ...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they didn’t have any Kryptonite to weaken Superman. That is, Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen.  It was the prevailing feeling in the hearts of the majority of the 70,000 in attendance at EverBank Stadium despite some second-half heroics from Trevor Lawrence.  In a showdown of two presumed elite quarterbacks, Allen donned the blue cape when many thought Lawrence would.  Allen did, however, have a great, all-around afternoon with the superb play of their offensive line as well as a bend-but-don’t break defense that helped pull it all together in a 27-24 Wild Card victory.  It was poised to be Lawrence’s crowning moment, as his stellar play over the last eight games  - winning most of the eight and nine of his last 10 in a convincing fashion -was to be topped with his first playoff victory in front of the Bank faithful. Instead, it was Allen who stole the show, dinking and dunking his passes through t...

  On paper, it looks like a marquee quarterback matchup of Trevor Lawrence against Josh Allen Sunday afternoon before an anticipated electric crowd EverBank Stadium.  And it likely will be. Even though Lawrence arguably is playing better than any quarterback in the last eight weeks, the thought of facing Allen in a playoff atmosphere can be frightening to Jaguars’ fans.  Their battle likely will come down to what quarterback throws the untimely interception. For the record, Jacksonville has soared lately, winning eight straight and nine of 10, while the Bills have recovered from a clumsy slide, winning five of their last six. Both may have similar numbers, but they are ready to take different steps.  Lawrence has thrown 15 touchdowns and one pick in his last six games (he had a combined four in his other two wins), while Allen has six touchdowns and three interceptions in his last six starts (he didn’t play last week). Their season stats are eerily similar. Lawrence ...

(Photo Courtesy Tennessee Titans) By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE -   It didn’t start off well, but it sure did end well.  Still, never count out this confident self-assured version of the Jaguars.  I had some self-doubts, and I shouldn't have. This was a game of new records, and the continuation of a banner season on several fronts. Still, this was the game against 3-13 Tennessee that could have had a flat written all over it. An overcast, child afternoon provided the perfect initial backdrop. Trevor Lawrence was sacked on the game’s first play, and the Titans’ defense appeared ignited. That followed with a holding penalty on tackle Cole Van Lanen, and then Lawrence overshot Parker Washington on a pass.  Tennessee followed with a five-play, 58-yard drive seemingly streaking down the field and capping it when quarterback Cam Ward scored, diving for pylon for a seven-yard score and 7-0 lead. Ward was looking like a top overall pick lately, and i...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers legendary radio play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff announced today that he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season, closing out one of the longest and most distinguished broadcasting tenures in franchise and league history.  Deckerhoff has served as the voice of the Buccaneers for 37 seasons, a span that ranks as the third-longest play-by-play tenure for an NFL club, behind only the Eagles’ Merrill Reese and the Cowboys’ Brad Sham.  Since joining the organization in 1989, Deckerhoff has been on the call for more than 750 Buccaneers preseason, regular season and playoff games, and has bellowed his signature, ‘Touchdown, Tampa Bay!’ call on more than 1,100 occasions. Deckerhoff’s unmistakable voice has chronicled three-quarters of all games in Buccaneers history, connecting fans with the franchise from transformational years through its two Super Bowl Championships.  “For 37 seasons, Gene Deckerhoff’s voice has set the scene for the mos...

  (Photo by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Wire) By Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com JACKSONVILLE — A month after hoisting the Commonwealth Cup in the jubilant home locker room at Scott Stadium, Virginia head football coach Tony Elliott lifted another prize in triumph late Saturday night: the trophy awarded to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl champion. In its first bowl appearance since 2019, No. 20 UVA defeated No. 25 Missouri 13-7 at EverBank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. In doing so, the Cavaliers made history. “Welcome to the 11-win club,” Elliott told his players. “That’s history. That’s legacy, and it’s not easy to leave a legacy.” The 11 victories are the most ever by a UVA team. Only twice have the Wahoos reached the 10-win mark: in 1989 and then this season, their fourth under Elliott. Not bad for a group that, in the media’s preseason poll, was picked to finish 14th out of the ACC’s 17 teams. “It’s been a special year,” Elliott said. “It's been a fun group to coach. T...

By Jeff Moeller/Florida Sports Wire This one was about grit and character. Looking at the Jaguars this season, we’ve seen talent, anxiety, dominance, deterioration among other factors. It has been a panoramic view from the start to their current seven-game winning streak that has produced a franchise-tying 12 wins. The Jags had to gut it out and pulled it out against 44-year-old Philip Rivers, who throws the ball like a sidearmed reliever, in a nerve-wracking 23-17 victory. They were missing starters guard Patrick Mekari, center Robert Hainsey and running back Bhayshul Tuten.  Jacksonville dominated in nearly every offensive category, outgaining the Colts, 370-204.  They couldn’t afford to let this one slip away, and they didn’t implode like they have on occasions in the past. They now work past it. A redzone fumble on a trick play and Trevor Lawrence’s ill-advised pass attempt to Parker Washington that turned into an interception kept the Colts early in the game and reignited...