NFL
By: Edwin Duodu
What began with so much potential and excitement has now turned into another season where more answers surround the Jacksonville Jaguars organization. The team has recently fired Urban Meyer after 13 games, but what’s more shocking is the instances that led up to his dismissal as head coach. The Jaguars are currently one of the worst teams in the NFL, but there seems to be no direction.
There is no structure, and losses and underwhelming game plans have quickly eradicated the hope that we all predicted the Jaguars would showcase this year. Not all of that is Urban Meyer’s fault, but he did have a significant role in contributing to where the team is at the moment. Meyer thought he would be able to help turn around an organization that has been in turmoil for the past decade. Unfortunately, his actions told otherwise.
Coming from an extensive winning background from Ohio State University, Meyer had the one element that would’ve been important to the Jaguars in this rebuilding process. He knew how to win. We can refer backing to the three national championships with two college programs. He also boasted an overall record of 187-32. Instilling that winning mentality would need to be the first step, but accomplishing that goal is entirely different.
There were multiple holes on the Jaguars squad that Meyer wouldn’t overcome in one season. However, there still needed to be a sense of direction and flashes of progress. Thus, Meyer made the mistake of believing that his winning college resume would immediately translate to a struggling NFL franchise. As the season progressed, you could see that the number of losses he faced each week took a toll on him.
It caused him to stay behind in Cincinnati after a loss and not join his team on the plane ride home. Matters only got worse when he was seen dancing with a woman, other than his wife, at the bar. Fast forward to another loss, this time at the hands of Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans. After the game, Meyer is caught looking the other way while shaking the hands of Vrabel. No law states that head coaches are obligated to shake hands after a game, but it shows maturity.
It’s safe to say that his credibility and accountability have been poor this year. Despite the former Jacksonville coach not being used to the idea of losing every week, he still needed to show character and fight. He needed to be a leader on the team, especially for his rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who isn’t used to losing every week.
Meyer’s more questionable actions made his coaching philosophy and judgment questionable. Earlier in the season, there was the signing of Tim Tebow, a former NFL quarterback who Meyer thought could convert to tight end at the highest level in sports. Bad move. Recently, there have been comments regarding former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo. Lambo claims that Meyer allegedly kicked him during practice.
“It certainly wasn’t as hard as he could’ve done it, but it certainly wasn’t a love tap,” Lambo said.
Whether true or not, it’s not a great look, and it happens to come amidst his first season coaching the Jaguars. Still, this incident isn’t the only one that caused fans to view if Meyer was fit to be an NFL coach or not.
The Jaguars will now be searching for a new head coach. What makes things worse is that Meyer had a hand in drafting the current rookies on the roster now. Who knows if these players will be fits with whomever the front office decides to bring in for next season. Either way, this team may now be back to square one, if not close to it. We can thank Urban Meyer for playing a role in that.
