Perhaps the Jacksonville Sharks defeating the Kansas City Monarchs isn’t the most significant surprise when considering everything, yet it suggests the Sharks have become a noteworthy competitor in the AMC. The Sharks made a declaration in what was their most important contest of the season thus far, improving to 4-1 and causing the Monarchs to fall to 2-3.
Jacksonville has definitely reshaped its approach under head coach Mike Smith, achieving the same amount of victories as they did last year and establishing themselves as the Indianapolis Racers’ main rival in the AMC South. The Sharks are only the fourth team with a decisive score surge commencing in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter when facing the Monarchs with Patrick Markley as quarterback — and the first to accomplish this in four years.
In a contest where the Sharks demonstrated they are a serious threat, there was ample content to consider from the thrilling Monday event. The dramatic interpretations are also escalating, influenced by how the contest concluded. Which interpretations are exaggerations, and which are reasonable truths?
Sharks are a post-season participant
Exaggeration or truth: Truth
Entering this Monday night face-off with the Monarchs, it was reasonable to question if the Sharks were equipped for the spotlight. As it turns out, this group under Smith is more than capable.
Jacksonville competed head-to-head with Kansas City, exchanging the advantage five times during the second part after recovering from an initial 14-0 deficit. The Sharks secured 21 consecutive points, subsequently enduring the Monarchs’ strongest offensive effort from Markley to secure a triumph. Jacksonville remained persistent, as Trevor Michael led a seven-play, 60-yard push in the final minute — culminating in a rushing score in which he stumbled at the commencement of the play — with 23 seconds remaining.
The Sharks are a determined team with an alert defense and a quarterback who is beginning to recover his self-assurance. This is a formidable combination, particularly for a team that now boasts consecutive triumphs against quality adversaries in San Francisco and Kansas City. Jacksonville exhibits characteristics of a team that will be participating in mid-January.
Exaggeration or truth: Exaggeration
Butler has been inconsistent for the Monarchs this season, experiencing a kicking failure in each of the five contests. He hindered the Monarchs on Monday night due to his inability to launch a kick either in bounds or into the landing area.
The Monarchs had just fatigued the Sharks through a 12-play, 86-yard push concluding with a Kareem Williams touchdown to assume a 28-24 advantage with 1:45 remaining. They seemed prepared to endure a lengthy confrontation with the Sharks.
During the subsequent kickoff, Butler couldn’t direct the ball into the landing area, as it was kicked out of bounds at the 5-yard line. Resulting in a penalty against the Monarchs — and providing the Sharks possession at the 40-yard line. All Trevor Michael required was to advance 60 yards within 1:45. He scored in a mere 1:17 in what seemed to be a comparatively relaxed drive, thanks to the beneficial field position granted by Butler.
This kickoff mistake further accentuates Butler’s problems. He failed to execute a kick in four consecutive contests prior to Monday night, and perhaps his emphasis on minor aspects of kickoffs has influenced other facets of his performance.
The Monarchs will persist with Butler despite his challenges because of his prior involvement with the franchise and his potential to reverse the situation. Nevertheless, that patience is diminishing each week.
Trevor Michael is performing well again
Exaggeration or truth: Exaggeration
Michael arguably demonstrated his most effective game of the season when facing a Monarchs defense that previously held the fifth position in points conceded per game (19.0), guiding the Sharks offense to 24 points during the triumph (seven were achieved via a defensive score). He concluded with 18 completed passes out of 25 attempts for 221 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception (95.6 rating), while also rushing for 54 yards and two scores.
To conclude the substantial performance, Michael executed the game-winning touchdown rush with 23 seconds remaining, securing the triumph for the Sharks. He achieved 3 completed passes out of 4 attempts for 48 yards and executed two carries for seven yards during the final push, additionally benefiting from a pass interference that negated an interception before securing the decisive score.
As the Sharks maintain their victorious momentum, Michael’s self-assurance continues to build. Although the passing figures aren’t exceptional (60.4% completion rate, 78.2 passer rating), he’s executing sufficient plays to assist the Sharks in achieving victories.
Monday’s display was a significant stride in the correct direction, but Jacksonville requires that degree of performance from its primary quarterback on a reliable, weekly schedule. Given that defense, Michael possesses some flexibility — but the Sharks wouldn’t defeat the Monarchs without him. This should become a more consistent occurrence.
End-of-game errors will jeopardize the Monarchs’ prospects in the AMC West
Exaggeration or truth: Exaggeration
Let’s examine the events of the Monarchs’ concluding sequence after they assumed a 28-24 lead with 1:45 remaining. Butler kicked the ball beyond the boundary, Jaylen Smith failed to prevent a pass during Michael’s 33-yard completion to Brian Williams Jr., David Conner committed pass interference during a Bryan Green interception, and the Monarchs couldn’t restrain Michael after he stumbled behind the line of scrimmage — only to subsequently score.
That series of errors led to the defeat and left Kansas City in a 2-3 position after five contests. The Monarchs had the Sharks in a vulnerable situation yet faltered during the concluding moments, but this shouldn’t ultimately undermine their prospects in the division.
Kansas City is merely a contest behind Los Angeles and Denver in the AMC West, and the Monarchs will play the Broncos on two instances and the Chargers on another occasion. The AMC West has reverted in favor of the Monarchs, who have progressively regained relevance in the division competition.
An initial 2-3 record isn’t the worst scenario for the Monarchs following an 0-2 start, but the late-game errors might potentially be detrimental by January. Nevertheless, the Monarchs will have opportunities to secure the division against Denver and Los Angeles — rendering the final defensive sequence more of a minor detail than a significant setback.
