Florida Sports Wires

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsday.com) - The Jacksonville Jaguars will again win the AFC South. Remember, this team won 13 games last year, and had a hiccup against Josh Allen and the Bills in a playoff game.  Should you take it to the bank? No. However, the Jags have a real chance to make a deep run in the postseason. In order to do that, they have to be on their A-game. (Trevor Lawrence can’t throw that untimely interception.)  On paper, Denver may be the best team in the AFC. They have all the tools and the coach in Sean Payton. You can’t count out Seattle, who will see how the season plays out. Cincinnati and Buffalo also should be near the top this season.  Kansas City lost some key personnel on their defense, and they don’t have the same offensive weapons. Yes, Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes, even though he is coming off a knee injury. But the Chiefs, like tight end Travis Kelce, are getting old. New England had the benef...

Special to Jax Sports News NORFOLK, Va. (www,jaxsportsnews.com) – Deyvison De Los Santos blasted two home runs, but a five-run Norfolk sixth turned the Tides to a 9-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday at Harbor Park. The Jumbo Shrimp (66-65, 24-33) led 3-2 with one out in the sixth. Brandon White (3-8) walked Payton Eeles before yielding a go-ahead two-run homer to Rece Hinds. After a hit by pitch, the Tides (50-80, 22-33) took a 6-3 lead on a two-run shot from Brandon Butterworth. Jud Fabian then walked and advanced to third on a Sam Huff single before scoring on a wild pitch. Norfolk put the finishing touches on in the eighth. Huff walked with two outs before Bryan Ramos reached on an error. Enrique Bradfield Jr. followed with a two-run triple to set the final margin at 9-3. Jacksonville took an early lead in their first at-bats. With one out, Jonathon Long walked, Matthew Etzel reached on an error and De Los Santos walked to load the bases. Kemp Alderman lifted ...

  By Jeff Moeller JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) - Jacksonville Jaguars’ GM James Gladstone made some last-minute eye-popping moves to his team’s final  53-man roster in preparation for their season opener against Cleveland Sept. 13. Trust in Gladstone, Jaguars’ fans. Just when you thought veteran Nick Mullens was going to be the backup to Trevor Lawrence, he wasn’t. Gladstone acquired Miami quarterback and former Texas’ star Quinn Ewers to serve the role for a 2028 sixth-round pick, and Mullens eventually ended up on the practice squad.  This one was a stumper.  Ewers played in four games and threw for 622 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in between the Tua Tagovailoa saga. He didn’t exactly overwhelm the Dolphins’ brass last season.  Gladstone must have seen something in him. Mullens is still within arm’s reach as well as rookie Joey Aguilar.  The GM also sent  veteran tight end Hunter Long to the Cardinals for a 2028 sevent...

Special to Florida Sports Wires  JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) – Brandon Lockridge bookended his day with run-scoring doubles in a five-RBI performance to help the Nashville Sounds defeat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 8-4 Friday afternoon at VyStar Ballpark Lockridge’s final blow arrived in the eighth with Nashville (70-59, 27-27) leading Jacksonville (65-63, 23-41) 5-3. Two walks to Tyler Black and Jacob Hurtubise, along with a fielder’s choice groundball from Daniel Guilarte on which the Jacksonville infield failed to record an out, loaded the base for Lockridge, who cleared the bases with a double down the left field line to set the final margin at 8-4. Nashville made landfall first with a two-run top of the second. Hurtubise reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second on a Guilarte walk. Lockridge plated them both on a double to the right-center alley to give the Sounds a 2-0 lead. A trio of hits in the third allowed Nashville to add on. Luke Adams, Blake Burke...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Spotrts Wire JACKSONVILLE (wwwjaxsportsnews.com ) It’s the end of the preseason tonight, and that also means the cutdown day is within reach.  Sunday is the big day at 4 p.m., and GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen shouldn’t have too many major decisions in their hands. Gladstone likely will swing a deal or two before it is over. One glaring issue - and it is a good problem - is the Jaguars’ wide receiver room. This season, the predominant offensive message will be clear- throw the ball. Heading into the game, the wide receivers on the Jags’ roster are Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, CJ Williams, Josh Cameron, Austin Trammell, Tim Jones, Michael Wortham, Trebor Pena, Ben Patterson, Brady Boyd, and Chandler Brayboy.  For once, the Jags are loaded with wide receivers and tight ends, as they will play hand through their passing game. It has worked well with their running game in transition. This has created a po...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) Nick Mullens’ stock rose. Like a stock, you want to see it rise and feel safe about it. And most times, don't touch it. It's just another reminder of the NFL backup quarterback.  After his performance against New Orleans in the preseason opener, Mullens certainly caused some queasy stomachs for Jaguars’ fans.  He was 3-for-7 for 33 yards and an interception. This is the same backup quarterback designated behind Trevor Lawrence. Did you feel good about that? Mullens redeemed himself with a 6-for-7, 65-yard performance against Carolina last week. Probably the most important player behind our starting quarterback is your backup quarterback.  Yes, you can make the argument that a dominant position player is more vital. But how have you felt when Lawrence has been knocked out of a game or has to leave for a number of plays?   Talk about a nervous stomach or agita.  You were probably wonde...

Special to Florida Sports Wires JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com)  – Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Anthony Bender is scheduled to join the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with the club’s 7:45 p.m. ET first pitch at the Memphis Redbirds from AutoZone Park. Bender was placed on the injured list on June 30 with a right shin stress reaction. He had pitched in 35 games for Miami prior to his injury, going 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA. Over 34.1 innings, the 31-year-old had yielded only 21 hits and 12 walks while striking out 41.  A native of Petaluma, Calif., Bender was originally drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 20th round of the 2016 draft out of Santa Rosa Junior College (Calif.). He reached as high as High-A Wilmington in the Royals’ organization before getting released during Spring Training in 2019.  Bender latched on with independent Sioux City of the American Association, pitching in two games before signing a m...