Florida Sports Wires

Special to Jax Sports News JACKSONVILLE (www.thefloridasportswire.com) The Sporting JAX men’s team put up a strong fight against Eastern Conference rival Indy Eleven on Saturday, but ultimately fell, 1-0, after the visitors took the lead in the closing minutes. Jackosonville h ead coach Liam Fox after the match: “We probably weren’t as ruthless as I would like us to be in the final third. We probably didn’t create enough chances, but some of the football was really, really good. And it’s difficult for me to say that at the moment, say that was positive because we’ve come away with a cheap goal at the end from a team that we know are very dangerous at set pieces, and ultimately that cost us tonight.” “Every week we’ve got an opportunity to bounce back. As has been the message all throughout the season, we’ll get back in to work and we’ll look forward to the next one.” Saturday’s match served as Sporting JAX’s first home match in nearly a month, with fans returning to Hodges Stadium to c...

  FILE PHOTO/Nancy DeLander Beecher JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp earned their first win of the 2026 season against the Rochester Red Wings 4-3 Sunday afternoon at VyStar Ballpark in front of 5,635 fans.  Jacksonville (1-2) turned to William Kempner (SV, 1) to close out the ballgame after reliever Patrick Montverde yielded a double to Phillip Glasser and an RBI single to Zack Short to bring the Rochester (2-1) deficit to one run. With the tying run on base, Kempner struck out Christian Franklin and Robert Hassell III looking to lock it down. Jumbo Shrimp starting pitcher Braxton Garrett made his first regular season outing since June 2024 and tossed 4.2 innings of one-run ball while allowing two hits and two walks and striking out three.  Rochester starter Luis Perales (L, 0-1) surrendered his only run in the second inning. Ethan O’Donnell walked and advanced to third after singles from Johnny Olmstead and Jared Serna. Andrew Pintar drew a walk to bring in ...

FILE PHOTO by Nancy DeLander Beecher  Special to Florida Sports Wire JACKSONVILLE - After trailing by a goal for much of the contest, a late surge by the Florida Everblades produced three third-period goals, including multi-point performances from three players, leading to a 4–2 victory over the Jacksonville Icemen and officially clinching a playoff spot. The Jacksonville Icemen opened the scoring midway through the first period as Trevor Griebel fired a wrist shot from the right circle, notching the Icemen’s first goal of the night and the first professional goal of his career.  Lordanthony Grissom and Adam McMaster picked up the assists on the play. No further scoring followed in the opening frame, leaving the Blades trailing 1–0. Florida recorded six shots on Michael Bullion, while the Icemen put 11 shots on Kyle McClellan, who was making his first start in an Everblades sweater. With the second period nearing a scoreless finish, Oliver Chau got the Blades on the board at 1...

 By Nancy DeLander Beecher NEW YORK— Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Miami Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson and Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 17 (December 25-26, 28-30). OFFENSE: QB JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS Burrow completed 39 of 49 pass attempts (79.6 percent), led the NFL in Week 17 with 412 passing yards and had four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with a 122.1 passer rating in the Bengals’ 30-24 overtime win against the Broncos. This marked Burrow’s seventh-career game with at least 400 passing yards, tied for the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. This is the seventh-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Burrow and first this season. He joins Boomer Esiason (nine-time winner) as the only Bengals players with seven-or-more Player of the Week awards. 2021: Weeks 4, 16 2022: Weeks 7, 13, 16 2023: Week 8 2024: Week 17 Bur...

By Nancy DeLander Beecher NEW YORK — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and New York Giants wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 17 (December 25-26, 28-30). OFFENSE: QB BAKER MAYFIELD, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Mayfield completed 27 of 32 pass attempts (84.4 percent) for 359 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 153.0 passer rating in the Buccaneers’ 48-14 win over Carolina. Mayfield became the fifth player in NFL history with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher, at least 350 pass yards, five touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150-or-higher, joining Tom Brady (Oct. 21, 2007 and Oct. 18, 2009, both with New England), Aaron Rodgers (Oct. 20, 2019 with Green Bay), Ben Roethlisberger (Oct. 26, 2014 with Pittsburgh) and Deshaun Watson (Oct. 6, 2019 with Houston). This is the sixth-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Mayfie...

By Nancy Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK – A look at highlights from games played on Sunday, December 15, the 15th week of the 2024 season. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 120.0 passer rating and wide receiver Davante Adams had nine receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 32-25 win at Jacksonville. Rodgers has 159 career games with at least two touchdown passes, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (159 games) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (204 games), Drew Brees (173) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (165) have more. Adams has 101 career touchdown receptions and became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving touchdowns in his first 11 seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (146), Randy Moss (135), Marvin Harrison (122) and Terrell Owens (114) as well as Mike Evans (103). Adams has 18 career ...

By Nancy DeLander Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 14 (December 5, 8-9). OFFENSE: QB SAM DARNOLD, MINNESOTA VIKINGS Darnold completed 22 of 28 pass attempts (78.6 percent) for 347 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 157.9 passer rating in the Vikings’ 42-21 victory over the Falcons. He became the ninth quarterback in NFL history and first since Aaron Rodgers on Oct. 20, 2019 with at least 325 passing yards, five touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 75-or-higher and a passer rating of 155-or-higher with no interceptions in a game. This is the second-career Offensive Player of the Week Award for Darnold, becoming the fourth Vikings quarterback in the past 15 seasons (2010-24) to win the award, joining Kirk Cousins (three-time ...

By Nancy DeLander Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Matthew Wright are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 14 (December 5, 8-9). OFFENSE: WR JA’MARR CHASE, CINCINNATI BENGALS Chase registered 14 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati’s 27-20 win at Dallas on Monday Night Football. It marked his sixth-career game with at least 175 receiving yards, tied for the second-most by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history. This is the fourth-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Chase, becoming the fourth Bengals player with four-or-more Offensive Player of the Week awards, joining Boomer Esiason (nine-time winner), Joe Burrow (six) and James Brooks (four). 2021: Weeks 7, 17 2023: Week 5 2024: Week 14 Chase becomes the fifth wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Week four times since 2000...

 By Nancy Delander Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Sunday, Dec. 8, the 14th week of the 2024 season. With two games remaining in Week 14, six games were decided by six-or-fewer points. Two teams – Detroit and Miami – recorded the game-winning score on the final play of the game. There have been 98 games this season decided by six-or fewer points, the most such games through Week 14 in NFL history, and 112 games decided by seven-or-fewer games, tied with the 2016 season for the most such games through Week 14 in NFL history. There have been 119 games decided by eight-or-fewer points this season, the third-most such games through Week 14 in NFL history, trailing only 2016 (122 games) and 2022 (121). The Los Angeles Rams defeated Buffalo, 44-42, in the highest scoring game of the 2024 season, It marked the second game in NFL history featuring five combined touchdown passes, five combined rushing touchdowns and no tu...

 By Nancy Beecher, Florida Sports Wire The Jacksonville Jaguars have claimed WR Josh Reynolds off waivers, the team announced today. Additionally, the team has placed QB Trevor Lawrence on the Reserve/Injured List. Reynolds was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round (117th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 112 games (54 starts) with the Rams (2017-20), Titans (2021), Lions (2021-23) and Broncos (2024).  His career totals include 232 receptions for 3,116 yards and 20 touchdowns. Reynolds has also appeared in nine postseason contests, making five starts and registering 19 receptions for 318 yards and a touchdown. In 2024, he played in five games (one start) for Denver and posted 12 receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Reynolds attended Texas A&M from 2014-16 where he played in 38 games (36 starts) and totaled 2,788 yards and 30 touchdowns on 164 receptions.

 By Nancy Beecher, Florida Sport Wire NEW YORK — Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Wiliams and Philadelphia Eagles punter Braden Mann are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 13 (November 28-29, December 1-2). OFFENSE: RB BUCKY IRVING, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Irving registered a career-high 185 scrimmage yards (152 rushing, 33 receiving) – the most in a game by a rookie this season – and a rushing touchdown in Tampa Bay’s 26-23 overtime win at Carolina. His 152 rushing yards were the most in the NFL in Week 13 and he became the first Buccaneers rookie to record 180-or-more scrimmage yards in a game since Mike Evans (Week 11 of the 2014 season). This is the first-career Offensive Player of the Week Award for Irving, becoming the third Buccaneers running back ever to earn the honor as a rookie, joining Warrick Dunn (Week 2, 1997) and Doug Martin (Week 9, 2012). Irving becomes the first former Or...

 By Nancy Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still and New York Jets running back Kene Nwangwu are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 13 (November 28, December 1-2). OFFENSE: QB JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS Allen completed 13 of 17 attempts (76.5 percent) for 148 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 141.3 rating in Buffalo’s 35-10 win over San Francisco. Allen also recorded a rushing touchdown and a touchdown catch, becoming the third player ever with at least two touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and one touchdown reception in a game. This is the 14th-career Offensive Player of the Week award and second this season for Allen. Allen’s four seasons with multiple Offensive Player of the Week awards are tied for seventh-most by a quarterback in NFL history. 2018: Week 17 2019: Week 11 2020: Weeks 2, 9, 13, 15 2021: Week 3 2022: Weeks 5, 6, 15 ...

By Nancy DeLander Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK — Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, with 44,681 votes, leads all players in balloting for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games after one week of voting. Baltimore running back Derrick Henry (40,729 votes) ranks second overall, while Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley (40,602), Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen (36,574) and Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs (35,637) round out the top five. The Detroit Lions lead all clubs in total votes received, followed by the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. For the second consecutive year, the National Football League will return to Orlando to celebrate the league’s best players at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games presented by Verizon. As in past years, the Pro Bowl Games provides fans with an unmatched opportunity to vote for their favorite players to compete in a multi-day AFC versus NFC competition, featuring Pro Bowl Skills and culminating in an action-packe...

By Nancy DeLander Beecher, Florida Sports wire NEW YORK — Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans has been suspended without pay for three games for repeated violations of rules intended to protect the health and safety of players and promote sportsmanship, including during Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension. In a letter to Al-Shaair, Runyan, who noted that Al-Shaair has had multiple offenses for personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations in recent seasons, wrote: “During your game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 1, with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers unacceptable and a serious violation of the playing rules. Video shows you striking the head/neck area of Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he clearly goes down in a feet-first slide...You led with your forearm and helmet and delivered a forceful blow to th...

  By Nancy DeLander Beecher, Florida Sports Wire NEW YORK — Thirty-two players have been nominated for the eleventh annual Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award; the NFL announced today. Each NFL team nominated a player for the award, which recognizes individuals around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship. Created in 2014, the award honors the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr. A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community — Warrick Dunn, 2014 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recipient Larry Fitzgerald, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin and Leonard Wheeler — will select eight finalists (four in the AFC and four in the NFC) from the 32 nominees. The eight finalists will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote in December. “Sportsmanship is at the very the core of the game, the foundation of our values that are shared across all levels of the sport,...