Urban Meyer led the Jacksonville Jaguars to their 10th loss of the season on Sunday. The Jaguars took a trip to the west coast to play the Los Angeles Rams and never had the lead. There are so many mistakes. It’s hard to blame just one player as there is plenty of blame to go around. However, Meyer is the head coach and is to blame for the poor product on the field. This Jaguars team comes out week to week unable to compete. With Sunday’s loss, the Jaguars now have at least 10 losses in 10 of the last 11 years.
kind of expected this..still tough to watch….10th time in 11 years we (jags) with at least 10 L's….just not right….
— Dan Hicken (@DanHicken) December 5, 2021
Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars Lose 10th Game of the Season
Urban Meyer Needs to Own His Mistakes
Meyer is at the helm in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, he’s not making this team competitive. After this week’s loss, the team averages just 15 points per game. They also give up 26.6 points per game. Those numbers won’t win many football games. This is a team that doesn’t look ready to play week after week. Whether it’s penalties, an offense that can’t get into a rhythm, or questionable coaching tactics, Meyer needs to do better.
According to the Football Database, the Jaguars had 77 penalties on the season heading into their game this week. That’s good for 15th in the league in penalties. While they are middle of the pack in the league in penalties, each one hurts. This team is already at a talent deficit. Penalties have killed drives for the Jags this year.
Forget the debacle earlier this year in which Meyer’s off-the-field behavior was brought into question. Meyer’s coaching decisions, or lack thereof, are hurting this team. Meyer chooses to take a hands-off approach to personnel decisions during games. Robinson made a fumble in the game against the Atlanta Falcons. He did not play for the rest of the half. But according to this Big Cat Country article, Meyer deferred answering that question to his assistants. Meyer has a pattern of relying heavily on his assistants and being unaware of important decisions.
The Offense is Anemic
The Jaguars totaled 197 net yards on 55 offensive plays today. 3.6 yards per play
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) December 6, 2021
The Jaguars are averaging just 15 points a game this season. That’s not good at all. As you can see in the tweet above, they only had 197 yards Sunday, which was good for just 3.6 yards per play. While Lawrence is a rookie, he’s not getting much help. According to ESPN Reporter Michael DiRocco, Lawrence was 6 of 12 with three drops in the first half. It’s hard to have success as a quarterback when a fourth of your passes are dropped.
There also seems to be no creativity on offense. Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell hasn’t found a way to make the offense consistent this year. Analysts thought the receivers would be a strong point at the beginning of the season. However, due to injuries and disappointing play, it’s one of the weaker position groups on the team. Bevell doesn’t have much to work with, but he also hasn’t done much with what he has.
It’s Almost Draft Season
Yes, it’s only December 5th. There are five games left in the 2021 season. However, the Jaguars are not in the running for the playoffs. Not by a long shot. It’s about time to start thinking about the draft. While it’s sad, it’s true. Most teams have fans that are thinking about the playoffs in December. As long as a team is “in the hunt” there’s hope. The Jaguars have dashed those hopes this season, like most seasons.
The Jaguars are likely to pick in the top three in the 2022 NFL Draft. This means they should be able to land either a premium edge rusher like Kayvon Thibodeaux or Aidan Hutchinson or a blue-chip tackle like Evan Neal. If the coming weeks are anything like the first 12 games, the Jaguars will easily get one of these top-tier talents.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
