This year has been tough for Florida NFL teams and unfortunately, it’s hard to cast blame on anyone but the teams themselves.
While the Miami Dolphins have started to gain some momentum, shutting out the San Diego Chargers in yesterday’s game, The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have yet to win more than a single game each and any hope for improvement slips away with each passing game.
When you look at the statistics for the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s loss against the Cleveland Browns, it becomes evident that the Buccaneers have established a bad habit of letting very winnable games escape them. Losing by only five points with two interceptions by each team and a total time of possession almost split down the middle, it’s clear that the game was in no way a blowout, but only another frustrating example of a disappointing season. This is the fifth game of the season the Buccaneers have lost by less than a single touchdown, having lost with a final score of 22-17, and their failure to remain consistent has become a major issue. Next week, the Buccaneers host the divisional rival Atlanta Falcons at 1:00 P.M.
Shifting focus towards South Florida, the Miami Dolphins provided a dominating showcase when they hosted the San Diego Chargers in a game that ended 37-0. Shining as the Sunshine State’s only team worthy of bragging about, the Dolphins were able to intercept the Chargers’ quarterback 3 times, ending the game in a shutout. This is the first time the Chargers have been shutout since 1999, adding further disappointment to their three game losing streak. The Miami Dolphins head to Detroit to face the Lions next week for a 1:00 P.M. game.
For our last feature, we come to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who haven’t managed to do much apart from their victory against the Cleveland Browns in week 7. They’ve struggled all season, even after they made UCF alumni Blake Bortles their first string quarterback. This past Sunday, it sadly proved to be more of the same as the team travelled to play the Cincinnati Bengals ending in a 33-23 loss. While Bortles managed to demonstrate more consistency during the game, the Jaguars’ defense was unable to contain Bengals’ rusher Jeremy Hill, who scored two touchdowns, as well as ran for 154 yards. Next week, the Jaguars hope to add to the Dallas Cowboys’ losing streak as they host the team for a 1:00 p.m. game.
