Florida’s NFL Teams Make Rare Joint Playoff Appearance, All As Underdogs

For the first time since Titanic, As Good As It Gets, and Good Will Hunting were crushing box offices nationwide, all three Florida-based NFL teams will appear in the playoffs together this weekend.

And the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins will each enter the arena as underdogs, even though the Jags and Bucs both won the right as division winners to host their opponents on what the NFL calls Super Wild Card Weekend.

If you are brave or foolish enough to make a novelty parlay on this trio, make sure you’re getting the best number. As of this writing, FanDuel Sportsbook prices the three-Florida-team parlay at +3002. This comes after the Dolphins ruled out Tua Tagovailoa (concussions) on Wednesday and prepare to start rookie Skylar Thompson. Of course, if you’re in Florida, you’re either calling your local bookie or ringing your son back in Yonkers, because legal sports betting there remains on hold in the court system.

To review the last time Florida’s three teams even presented such a possibility, let’s briefly go back in time to the run-up to Super Bowl XXXII — a game in which Jewel sang the national anthem, referee Ed Hochuli’s biceps presided over the contest, and the underdog Denver Broncos bested the Green Bay Packers 31-24.

Back in time: the 1997-1998 NFL playoffs

On Dec. 27, 1997, the No. 4-seeded Broncos (the Kansas City Chiefs had won the West) hosted the Jaguars, who were making the second of four consecutive playoff appearances during the glory years of Mark Brunell at quarterback and Tom Coughlin as head coach. The Broncos steamrolled the Jaguars for 310 rushing yards and 511 yards total in the 42-17 victory at Mile High Stadium. It was sufficient payback for the previous season, when the Jaguars shocked the Broncos 30-27 as 12.5-point underdogs in the AFC Divisional Round.

The No. 78 greatest NFL game was the 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff against the Broncos (Jan. 4, 1997) #NFL100

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— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 28, 2019

Across the country at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts, while Tom Brady was still a backup at the University of Michigan, Drew Bledsoe led the New England Patriots as 5-point favorites to a 17-3 throttling of Dan Marino’s Dolphins. Coaches at the time? It was a pair of chiefs known best for their associations with the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys: Pete Carroll for New England, and Jimmy Johnson for the Dolphins.

Tampa Bay, led by head coach Tony Dungy with Trent Dilfer under center and a backfield of Warrick Dunn and Mike Alsott, got the best of the Detroit Lions 20-10 in the wild card round before facing Green Bay at Lambeau Field. The Brett Favre-led Packers, favored by 13, managed to cover the spread in a 21-7 romp on the frozen tundra. Backup to Favre? Current Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, alongside Steve Bono.

Now, for some analysis of present-day odds:

Super Wild Card Weekend 2023

Jaguars +1.5 vs. Chargers

Let’s stay with Pederson’s Jaguars, which are bouncing around as a short underdog of about +1 to +2.5 at multiple sportsbooks, with the best price on their moneyline right now +110 at DraftKings.

I have absolutely no clue, no lean, and pretty much no opinion on this game. The Chargers have been up and down all season. I like Brandon Staley’s aggressiveness on offense, but his broader decision-making has made Sean Payton a decent bet to become the next Chargers head coach. The Jaguars made a late charge to claim the AFC South, winning six of their last seven games after the bye, but their defense still leaves a lot to be desired and QB Trevor Lawrence’s play has been consistently erratic. This game is a coin flip, so give me the points.

Dolphins +13.5 at Bills

The Dolphins were already circling the drain before a mess of injuries to key players including Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Raheem Mostert, most of the starting secondary, plus the backup quarterback. It’s not a good sign in 2023 when your team signs Mike Glennon off the street just before Week 18. I’m not running to lay 14 on Buffalo but want no part of Miami.

Bucs +2.5 vs. Cowboys

I am frothing at the opportunity once again to bet against the Cowboys in the playoffs. They are a perpetually talented team that is poorly coached and possesses the opposite of the “clutch” gene. With a chance to still win the NFC East and the conference’s No. 1 seed last week, Dallas played its starters at Washington and totally no-showed in a 26-6 faceplant, with a horrific 14-of-37 passing performance from Dak Prescott. Come Monday night, we can count on some combination of foolish penalties and bone-headed Mike McCarthy clock management.

Yes, I am aware that the Buccaneers are deeply flawed, too. This game opened with the Bucs as 3-point home dogs, and maybe it gets back there. You could throw Tampa into a 6-point teaser, or just watch this video on repeat until you join me at the same conclusion: Bucs moneyline.

Not an ending you see everyday 🤯pic.twitter.com/ie8HDTBwDZ

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 17, 2022