Dolphins Could Begin NFL Season in South America in 2024, According to Report
The Dolphins could open the 2024 NFL season in Brazil, according to a report from ESPN’s John Sutcliffe. The trip to Brazil would be the second overseas game that Miami has played in as many seasons. The Dolphins lost to the Chiefs 21–14 in a regular-season contest in Frankfurt, Germany earlier this season. Sutcliffe said that the NFL is “analyzing” the possibility of playing a regular season game next season at Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sutcliffe said that ideally, the game would take place in Week 1 because it would be easier logistically for the NFL to get the television trucks to South America.
Interestingly enough, the only NFL team in Brazil that has the rights to market itself is the Dolphins. If Miami is selected, its potential opponent is not yet known.
The NFL has never played a game in South America as part of its International Series. The furthest south the league has gone is Mexico City, where the NFL has hosted nine games at Estadio Azteca. The league has also played games overseas in London and Germany. It will be interesting to see if the plans come to fruition, but plans are at least in motion for the league to potentially host a game in a new location outside of the United States in 2024.
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Dolphins break Top 5, Jaguars take a hit in Week 14 Power Rankings
It was a week of highs and lows for the Florida NFL teams. While the Miami Dolphins have taken over the top seed in the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars feared they lost more than just the game.
As the Dolphins and Jaguars continued to duel for the first-round bye, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their presence known with a 21-18 win over the Carolina Panthers and improved to second in the NFC South.
A whopping 45-15 victory over the Washington Commanders was enough for the Dolphins to improve to fifth place in the rankings, surpassing the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa inserted himself back in the league MVP conversation as he went 18-of-24 for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite being without standout defensemen Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland, the Dolphins’ defense picked up where it left off, with a dominant performance consisting of three sacks, three tackles for loss, and a pick-six.
The stakes were high for the Jaguars during Monday Night Football, as they had the opportunity to improve to first in the AFC playoff picture with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, disaster struck as the team fell 34-31 in overtime and lost quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the process. As a result, the Jaguars have fallen to eighth in the rankings.
Lawrence went down in the fourth quarter with an ugly-looking injury that has since been ruled as a high-ankle sprain. Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard stepped in and delivered a game-tying drive, but the team came up short in overtime.
Lawrence will be day-to-day as the team navigates the severity of the sprain. In the meantime, it will be Beathard’s responsibility to keep the Jaguars in the playoff race.
As we’ve seen this season, the NFC South is ever-changing. With a 21-18 victory over the struggling Panthers, the Buccaneers are suddenly back in the playoff conversation with a 5-7 record and second-place standings in the division. As a result, the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Buccaneers don’t have time to celebrate their victory, as they go head-to-head with the first-place Atlanta Falcons during Week 14. With a victory over the Falcons, Tampa Bay would improve to first in the division.
After the Week 13 victory, the Buccaneers have improved to 23rd in the rankings.
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