Florida’s NFL Sunday finally gave the state something other than synchronized misery. Jacksonville responded to its Denver collapse by crushing New England 35-6, while Miami and Tampa Bay both fell to 0-3 for very different reasons.
That is the real value of this Florida NFL Week 3 recap. The records matter, but direction matters more. Last week’s Florida NFL collapse showed three teams with three different problems. This Sunday, Jacksonville fixed some of its issues. Miami and Tampa Bay mostly confirmed theirs.
Florida NFL Week 3 Recap Flips the Statewide Script
| Team | Week 3 Result | Record | Defining Performance | Main Concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | Beat Patriots 35-6 | 2-1 | Trevor Lawrence: 3 TD passes | Sustaining situational efficiency |
| Dolphins | Lost to Chiefs 24-10 | 0-3 | Malik Willis: 266 total yards | Scoring and Achane’s status |
| Buccaneers | Lost to Vikings 23-16 | 0-3 | Emeka Egbuka: 5 catches, 62 yards | Mayfield injury and protection |
The biggest change was not Jacksonville scoring 35. It was the Jaguars doing the boring things winning teams do: converting third downs, finishing red-zone possessions and taking the ball away.
Jaguars Finally Turned Control Into Points
Jacksonville’s loss in Denver was maddening because the Jaguars led 13-3 and then stopped scoring. Against New England, Liam Coen’s team did the opposite.
Trevor Lawrence finished 19-of-29 for 182 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The yardage was modest; the important part was Jacksonville scoring touchdowns on all five red-zone possessions and converting 8 of 12 third downs. The situational football breakdown shows how much cleaner Jacksonville became when drives reached important moments.
Bhayshul Tuten carried 15 times for 73 yards and a touchdown, giving him 204 rushing yards through three games. Parker Washington added three catches for 40 yards and a score.
The defense forced three turnovers, including interceptions by Travis Hunter and Jarrian Jones. This looked sustainable, not lucky.
Dolphins Keep Moving the Ball Without Going Anywhere
Miami’s 24-10 loss to Kansas City was more competitive than the 35-13 beating in San Francisco. That is faint praise at 0-3.
The Dolphins gained 329 yards to Kansas City’s 334 and held the ball for 34:21. Malik Willis threw for 210 yards and ran for 56 more. Miami even opened with a 17-play, 91-yard touchdown drive.
Then the offense produced three points the rest of the afternoon.
The home-opener recap captures the problem: Miami can manufacture respectable drives without turning them into enough touchdowns. Willis can move and extend plays, but the Dolphins have scored 13, 13 and 10 points in three games.
De’Von Achane left after three carries and did not return. Until Miami provides more information, there is no reason to speculate about his availability. Losing him for any length of time, though, would remove Miami’s most explosive offensive piece.
Miami’s margin for error is disappearing.
Buccaneers Lost More Than Another One-Score Game
Tampa Bay’s 23-16 loss to Minnesota was already frustrating before Baker Mayfield’s right thumb became the story.
Mayfield finished 17-of-34 for 217 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked six times and hit 12. Tampa converted 2 of 17 third downs and managed only 243 total yards.
The postgame injury report confirmed Mayfield dislocated the thumb on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter. X-rays showed no fracture, with an MRI scheduled to determine the extent of the injury.
The timing is brutal. Tampa is already 0-3, and our quarterback pressure report entering Sunday centered on Mayfield needing to turn drives into touchdowns. Now the first question is whether he can take the next snap.
Emeka Egbuka caught five passes for 62 yards, while Ted Hurst III produced a 40-yard touchdown. The defense held Minnesota to 230 yards and 2-of-15 on third down.
Tampa still lost.
That is how ugly 0-3 can feel.
Sunday’s Player Stock Board Is Suddenly Uneven
The individual performances tell the statewide story:
- Trevor Lawrence: Up. He finished possessions and won situational downs instead of chasing empty yardage.
- Malik Willis: Holding. The mobility and yardage are useful; Miami desperately needs more touchdowns.
- Baker Mayfield: Medical watch. His throwing-hand health now outweighs anything in Sunday’s box score.
- Bhayshul Tuten: Up. Jacksonville’s running game is becoming a legitimate source of offensive balance.
- Emeka Egbuka: Up. He remains a dependable receiving option inside an unstable Tampa offense.
Jacksonville suddenly has the best combination of quarterback play, complementary football and record among Florida’s NFL teams.
That does not mean Lawrence has suddenly solved every Jaguars question. It means his team is helping him in ways Miami and Tampa currently are not helping their quarterbacks.
Jacksonville Has Created Separation—For Now
The Florida NFL Week 3 recap changed the statewide hierarchy more dramatically than the standings alone suggest.
Jacksonville is 2-1 because it corrected the exact flaw that cost it in Denver: finishing. Miami is 0-3 because productive stretches still do not become enough points. Tampa Bay is 0-3 with protection problems, dreadful third-down offense and uncertainty surrounding its starting quarterback.
September does not decide a season, but it exposes what must be fixed before October becomes expensive.
Jacksonville’s problems suddenly look manageable.
Miami and Tampa Bay are running out of easy fixes.