Florida Sports Wires

  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...

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...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) - When he took over as offensive coordinator last season, Grant Udinski had plenty of pressure on him. Udinski was part of the new regime under GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen. He had the challenge to take the team to the next level after predecessor Press Taylor failed in his attempt the previous three seasons. But this was a new beginning for Udinski. He previously had served  as assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach  for Minnesota during the  previous three seasons, and was an assistant coach for four previous seasons.  There were plenty of questions surrounding the 29-year-old on whether he was ready for the job.  He certainly had the deck stacked against him.   Udinski inherited an offense that was derailed due to Trevor Lawrence’s early season-ending injury, and the Jags never got on track with a 4-13 overall slate. Prior to that seaso...

By Jeff Moeller, Jacksonville Sports Day If there is one certainty you can count on from the Jaguars’ draft, it is general manager James Gladstone did it his way. He made his mark with his shocking trade up for Travis Hunter last year that gave the Jags a less profile draft this year.  Gladstone has come under criticism from draft experts for his overall selections. His overall performance didn’t register high marks.  The Jags and Rams’ drafts were ranked at the bottom by many draftniks. Ironically, Gladstone’s front office roots were with the Rams. Do you doubt the Rams’ brass by envisioning Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford’s replacement?  When you look at the Jags’ recent draft, there were some headscratchers.  Overall, it was a mixed bag. There was a prevailing theory that they had to fill the void left by running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags may have filled Lloyd’s spot, but they didn’t draft a running back.  Top pick Nate Boerkirch...

By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville Sports News For Matt Fitzpatrick, it was another successful trip to his home away from home. Over the years, the 31-year-old Sheffield, England native and his family vacationed on Hilton Head Island, and they also attended the annual PGA event there that has dated back to 1966.  When he won the RBC Heritage in 2023 , Fitzpatrick became an instant fan favorite, as he defeated Jordan Spieth in a playoff. Fitzpatrick won on the third playoff hole after hitting his approach shot to within one foot to set up the winning birdie. Late Sunday afternoon, the Hilton Head Island magic was back again. As Yogi Berra once aptly put it, “It was deja vu all over again.”  It was another vintage day on Hilton Head, where residents there and from nearby communities are totally enraptured with the annual tournament. It arguably is the social event of the year with another batch of overflow crowds. Fitzpatrick beat Scottie Scheffler - another Island favorite - in a pl...

  By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire For the Jaguars, the time is now. They’ll get back into action Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas against the hapless Raiders, who have lost four of the last five games and stand at 2-5. The last time the Jaguars went to the West Coast they were involved in a tight battle with the 49ers, and they dug down deep to pull out a rather unexpected victory. That catapulted them into their epic Monday night victory over the Chiefs, and the Jags were suddenly in the discussion with the league elites with their 4-1 record.   Unfortunately, their stay at the top was short lived, as they suddenly slipped through a trap door. A London loss to the Rams, and a flat game against the Seahawks left them at 4-3, and those postseason aspirations now  have a longer route. Then there’s the Colts at 7-1, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Daniel Jones has a solid line in front of him, arguably the league’s best running back in Jonathan Taylor, and a ...

Photo Courtesy LA Rams By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire For Liam Coen, the honeymoon is officially over. It appeared to end prematurely last week when the Jaguars overall looked flat on a home loss to the Seahawks, who most of the football world didn’t take seriously despite having Sam Darnold and their 4-1 record.  Yet, there was redemption ahead in a trip to London despite playing the 4-2 Rams. This time around, though, London wasn’t calling for them. Instead, they suffered another clunker in a 35-7 loss that wasn’t even as close as that. The 35 points were the most allowed by new defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s unit that once led the league in takeaways. Now, Coen has to deal with his first problem. If the Jags had a reality check last week against the Seahawks, this was a real awakening against the Rams. The Jags’ offense that hasn’t  been hitting on all cylinders, but still  getting some good mileage, needs a tuneup. That issue centered around Trevor La...

By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE - There was that feeling. It wasn’t the anticipated atmosphere at EverBank Stadium for a 4-1 Jaguars team that has the chance to move to 5-1 for the first time since 1999. There wasn’t the buzz you might have expected for a team that already looked postseason bound, and there was a good share of empty seats among the announced tickets distributed crowd of over 61,000. It was the same type of an electric playoff atmosphere of the Chiefs’ win last Monday night. Instead, it was a Chiefs’ hangover. You had the feeling the Jaguars would have a clunker like they have had at the start of the season the past several years. Unfortunately, for the most part of Sunday afternoon’s 20-12 loss to the Seahawks, it was. This was a reality check for the Jaguars, and a reminder that you have to show up on both sides the ball. It was an afternoon lost mainly on the offensive line that allowed seven sacks and 17 quarterbacks hits and 20 press...

PHOTO BY JIM BRADY/Florida Sports Wire By JEFF MOELLER, Florida Sports Wire   Maybe it was a sign. In the final five minutes, there was a collective sigh at EverBank Stadium Sunday and likely if you were watching at home. In a 10-10 game, Houston had the ball, and they were driving into Jacksonville territory for a potential game-winning score. It had all the making of another game that would slip away from the Jaguars, especially after it happened to them last week in Cincinnati. The season – and any thought of a postseason – was on the brink with a defeat that would leave them at 0-3. And this was Houston, who made Everbank Stadium their own Disneyworld with seven straight victories there. However, the Jags got a reprieve from what can save them this season –their defense. Tyson Campbell forced a fumble and Devin Lloyd recovered, and the Jags had a life again. Trevor Lawrence, who threw a costly interception that led to Houston’s tying score and had a mediocre afternoon despite s...

 By Jeff Moeller, Florida SportDay HILTON HEAD - Si-Woo Kim is looking for consistency. The 29-year-old South Korean golfer topped the leaderboard at a 15-under 198 after three rounds of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island Saturday. Kim has a tight one-shot lead over Justin Thomas (-14) and Andrew Novak (-14). Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is four strokes off the pace at -11 and tied for seventh. Through the first two rounds, Thomas led the field with a -12, but he ended Saturday with a two-under 69. Thomas was assessed a one-shot penalty from a waste area on the par-5 second hole. He notified a rules official that his ball moved a fraction while he was removing loose ground near it.   Kim sank five birdies and had one bogey -on his final hole - on a windy, sunny afternoon, finishing with a five-under 66.   He captured the Players Championship in 2017, becoming the youngest player at 21 to win the event. However, Kim has strug...

 By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE - Trade Trevor Lawrence? At first mention, it seems unthinkable.  But there have been some tires kicked surrounding the fourth-year quarterback, especially with a number of teams seeking someone under center. Lawrence has been linked to the Steelers, and those rumors persist. He also reportedly has been in the scope of the Giants and Jets. Jaguars officials quickly and flatly denied any trade talk for the once viewed generational player.  With new head coach and former Bucs’ offensive guru Liam Coen in place, the Jags have viewed the Lawrence-Coen connection as a perfect fit. The Jags confirmed their stance with Lawrence’s five-year, $275 million deal. The Jags finally have a general manager in 34-year-old James Gladstone, who brings a Rams’ pedigree to Florida with him. Don’t forget Jags longtime mainstay Tony Boselli, who is now the team’s VP of football operations.  It’s a revamped regime in place, and one of the...

(SportsDay photo by Nancy Beecher/Florida Sports Wire) By Jeff Moeller JACKSONVILLE (Florida Sports Wire) –  Did you hear the loud bump in the night in Jacksonville last night? You know, the one you heard last Saturday night. Elton John sang “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” and the Jaguars certainly have the past two weeks. They have gotten a lot of “action in.” That happens when your team is playing with unbound grit and determination as well as having some luck on their side. It’s when you have five turnovers –four interceptions– in the first half and respond with four touchdown passes in the second half. It doesn’t make sense. But when you reach a pivotal stage, it doesn’t have to. These Jaguars aren’t on the same level as the Chiefs, Bills, 49ers, or Eagles, but they are close behind. Yet, the Jags mounted comebacks against the Chiefs and Eagles in earlier losses and came within 10 points in each game. Saturday night’s epic, 31-30 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers –...

(SportsDay Photo by Nancy Beecher/FL Sports Wire) By Jeff Moeller The tremors that could be sensed and maybe felt from the raucous, white-towele waving 70,000-plus crowd at TIAA Field Saturday night will have some aftershocks all week long. The Jaguars’ 20-16 victory over Tennessee was a microcosm of their season. There were some growing pains, some blowouts, and finally some meaningful victories. From a team that was once 2-6 and reeling toward a likely four or –generous – maybe a five-win season, the Jags have come full circle to a 9-8 campaign. It is a turnaround that probably won’t be fully appreciated until the season is over. The rest of the league finally recognized them with a prime-time broadcast. This was a year that went from lap dances for a head coach to fans deliriously dancing in the parking lots. Their victory was more than a one-night football stand; it was the beginning. It’s real, and it’s far from over. Good teams have role players and have their share of timely pla...

By Jeff Moeller Note to Jaguars: Don’t mess it up. Also, this is still the time to be thankful and believe in fate. The latter is a factor I have harped on over the past two weeks. Fate is on their side. You may have to take a second look, but the first-place Jaguars have placed themselves in a position to win the AFC South or gain a Wildcard spot. At this point, they control their one destiny. The key words are “at this point.” That means, they have to go into Houston Sunday afternoon and beat the 2-12-1 Texans. Remember, this is the same Texan team that came into Jacksonville and beat a sluggish Jaguars’ team, 13-6, behind the running of Dameon Pierce, who bulldozed his way for 99 yards and scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown that won it. Trevor Lawrence had a rough day with two bad interceptions on a 25-for-47, 286-yard performance, all was listless late Sunday afternoon as the Jags sat at 2-5. It had all the making of another 3-14 or 4-13 season. From there, the Jags took a gian...