Things were going great for the Jacksonville Sharks this season. The Sharks were undefeated, winning their first eight games to start the year. All was well.

Then, they fired their head coach.

Jacksonville Sharks Late-Season Struggles

To start off, Jacksonville was looking like they were the dominant team of the National Arena League (NAL), which they were, beating all the top teams early in the season.

They were having their best start to a season in franchise history, and winning every game by an average of around 25 points in their first six games.

In their first six games, they faced teams like Columbus, Lehigh Valley, Monterrey, and High Country. All of them are top-five teams in the NAL. Things were looking perfect for the Sharks.

Many people knew from the start that there was absolutely no stopping the Sharks and that they might as well be crowned champions.

Where did the season start to spiral downhill?

Where Jacksonville Started to Fall

It all started when Quarterback Tommy Grady got hurt and was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) in Week Six at Monterrey. This left the Sharks in a bit of panic when they were forced to start their backup, Damien Fleming.

In Fleming’s first start of the season, the Sharks were facing the Columbus Lions.

That didn’t stop Fleming, throwing 16 of 22 passes for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns with three rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

This almost-perfect game gave Jacksonville confidence, but it still wasn’t the right puzzle piece.

There’s one thing that Grady completely dominates Fleming on and that’s the deep throws. Grady would throw it deep and almost every time, it would be a catch and maybe even a touchdown. Fleming didn’t try to throw it deep, but as the season progressed, he would try, but it would be a bad pass that leads to an incomplete pass or an interception.

Players Leaving the Team

Defensive back LaRoche Jackson left due to a team suspension to go to the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL.

Defensive backs Marvin Ross and Jabari Gorman left to go to the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, respectively, in the Canadian Football League (CFL) earlier this season.

Where things picked up for a little bit was when the Sharks signed defensive back David Hyland. Hyland only played a few games before retiring and going to the medical field where he would be a salesman.

New Coaching for Jacksonville

After the Sharks went 8-0, the team quickly announced that they had fired Head Coach Mark Stoute, bringing in Siaha Burley from the Cleveland Gladiators to take the new role.

One of his first moves was adding quarterback Jason Boltus.

This is ultimately where the Sharks experienced closer games unlike their early-season games.

Burley’s first game under head coach was a huge 71-6 victory against the Corpus Christi Rage.

In the final regular season game, the Sharks were really struggling against the Monterrey Steel, hoping to stay undefeated.

After a few bad snaps, Burley decided to give Boltus a rest and gave the game to Fleming. He struggled, too.

The team took some of their star players and let them sit out the rest of the game so they could be ready for the playoffs.

Monterrey was playing full-throttle and didn’t let anyone rest. Thus, giving Jacksonville their first loss of the season.

On June 19, Jacksonville let their defensive coordinator go, leaving the whole NAL fan base shocked.

Just days before the playoffs and the team does that.

Drama will for sure stir up in Jacksonville, and that’s not what anybody needs come playoff time. Is there any possible way Jacksonville could return to their dominating state like they were at the beginning of the season?

What Jacksonville Needs to Focus On

To prevent drama from starting in Jacksonville, the players must stay calm and accept what is going on.

Their loss, their defensive coordinator, and the possible drama going on. The Sharks need to put all of that behind them and work on what they can do in the upcoming playoff(s) games.

The Shark’s defense will most likely never be as good as it was at the beginning of the season. They had talent literally all over the field. Now, it’s just a few guys here and there.

They just need to worry about themselves and not be selfish. Play the game how it’s supposed to be played and don’t panic.

Finally, moving to the offensive side of the ball. The quarterback situation is a mess.

Neither quarterback can seem to do anything, but it all takes time.

Boltus is still new to the team, so he’s still getting to know his receivers, his center, and most importantly, the coach.

Fleming is a great choice if Jacksonville decides to go with him. He can run, he can pass, and he can make quick decisions.

Which one will the team pick?

Fans will find out if it all gets resolved when the Sharks and Steel rematch this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the Shark Tank.