Florida Sports Wire

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...

  NEW YORK –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Sunday, Dec. 28, the 17th week of the 2025 season. The Denver Broncos (13-3) defeated Kansas City, 20-13, and clinched the AFC West for the first time since 2015. Denver head coach Sean Payton recorded his 13th win of the season and joins Bill Belichick (seven seasons) as the only coaches in NFL history to win at least 13 games in at least five seasons. The Houston Texans (11-5) defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-16, to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. The Texans are the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and qualify for the postseason. Additionally in Week 17, the Chicago Bears (11-4), who visit San Francisco on Sunday Night Football, clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2018 while the Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) clinched a postseason berth for the third straight year. The New England Patriots (13-3) defeated the New York Jets, 42-10, and coupled with the Bills’ Week 17 lo...

  Think back to 2022. That was the last time the Jaguars made the playoffs, and they ended the regular season with six wins in their last seven games. During that streak, they averaged 26.7 points per game, and worked their way through a 40-36 overtime win over Dallas at the Bank. Then came their miracle comeback against the Chargers, and their season ended against the Chiefs a week later in which the Jags mounted a 10-point fourth-quarter rally and it fell just short in a 27-20 loss.  Fast forward to this Sunday. You can draw some parallels between the two seasons.  Yet, this ride should be easier, and the 11-4  Jaguars have raised their bar from three years ago in all three phases of their game. Jacksonville will bring an impressive six-game winning streak into Indianapolis Sunday to face the hapless Colts riding a five-game losing streak with 44-year-old Philip Rivers at the helm. During their current streak, the Jags are averaging a staggering 34.1 points per gam...

  For Jaguars’ fans, it is about where they will be seeded. It’s no longer about making the playoffs. With their dominant win in Denver Sunday, the Jags put any thoughts about making the playoffs behind them.  Their win was one of the biggest in franchise history, and it silenced any critics - including me and maybe you - who thought they wouldn’t win in Denver and find themselves in a battle with Houston for the division title.  With the Colts ‘ loss last night, the Jags clinched their first playoff spot since 2022, and they can capture the AFC South title by beating the Colts and the Titans in the final two weeks. Also in their favor is Houston’s game in Los Angeles against the Chargers Saturday, which is huge for both teams. If Houston loses Saturday, the Jags will walk into Indianapolis Sunday with the division title in their pocket and an opening home game in their pocket. Jacksonville, who currently has the third seed, can gain the top seed if they win out, and the ...

  Are the Jaguars ready to play their best football in the next three weeks? Most of the indications are trending upward playing in Denver late Sunday afternoon. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off one of his best performances in his five -year career with a five-touchdown outburst against the Jets, gaining AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Lawrence has been laser-focused over the last three weeks, throwing nine touchdowns without an interception and a quarterback rating over 111 in each of them. He also has run f0r 92 yards, 51 of them last week.  More importantly, Lawrence appears in sympatico with offensive-minded head coach Liam Coen, an aspect that Lawrence couldn’t connect with the previous regime.  Along with Lawrence’s passing game, Coen has jumped started the running game behind Travis Etienne, who should break the 1,000-yard season mark Sunday.  Watching him this season, it’s easy to see the different wrinkles in the offense, and how Lawrence h...

  At halftime, the song “ Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was blaring on the loud speaker at EverBank Stadium.  It should have been “Trevor Lawrence Is Coming to Town.” The fifth-year quarterback, initially viewed as a generational talent, apparently has finally arrived.  Over the last month, Lawrence arguably has been one of the league’s best. And, for the Jaguars, he has placed them among the elite with an overall 10-4 record and the third seed in the AFC playoff race. Lawrence put on a clinic Sunday afternoon at the Bank in the Jaguars’ convincing 48-20 victory over the Jets in a game that was not even as close as the 28-point deficit. Lawrence sliced and diced a shoddy Jets’ defense, completing 20 of 32 attempts for 330 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. Lawrence wasn’t sacked and hit only twice in spite of not having left tackle Walker Little. Backup Cole Van Lanan helped the offensive line to not miss a beat.   This arguably was Lawrence’s fines...

  Jaguars’ edge rusher and team leader Josh Hines-Allen could have stated the perceived state of the team . "League-wise, I think to them, we're still the Jags," said Allen. "They're just waiting for us to slip up.” Even with the Jags apparently in command at halftime with a 28-10, you still had the feeling whether you were at EverBank Stadium or you watched at home.  When the Colts kicked a field goal on the opening drive of the second drive and  the Jaguars had a bad three-and-out, your stomach started churning. The thought of the blown 19-point lead against the Texans four weeks ago still was stuck in many of our heads.  Don't worry. These Jaguars apparently have chased away their demons and haunts from their pretender past  As late Mets’ reliever Tug McGraw said in their run to the World Series, “You gotta believe. “ They have won four straight and still atop the AFC South and have the current third playoff seed.   With the Jags ahead 28-13 near mi...

 NEW YORK –––– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the on Sunday, December 7, the 14th week of the 2025 season. With two games remaining in Week 14, there have been 18 combined punt return and kickoff return touchdowns this season – including three today – the most through Week 14 in the last 10 seasons (2016-25) and the most since 2015 (20). Seattle wide receiver Rashid Shaheed recorded a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown (the longest return in the NFL this season), Denver wide receiver Marvin Mims recorded a 48-yard punt return touchdown (the first of his career) and New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams recorded a 78-yard punt return (his second this season) in Week 14. Williams is the second player (Chimere Dike, two in 2025) in the last five seasons (2021-25) to record multiple punt return touchdowns in a player’s first two career seasons. With two games remaining in Week 14, 2025 has seen the most kick return yards (42,070) and the second-hig...