JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fans are frustrated with the Jaguars. That’s not unusual for the city.
Even the most positive diehard Jaguars fans like David Mendenhall can’t help but be blunt about their disappointment with the 0-2 start this season.
“The fans were still with the team, then toward the end, it was, like, everybody was getting frustrated, the same thing over and over, the same penalties, two steps forward, three steps back,” Mendenhall said.
But, in addition to frustrated fans, there are seemingly more and more national media reports putting Meyer in the spotlight.
On Monday, Meyer did something he’s not accustomed to: facing the media for a second straight week after a loss.
“A lot of guys were here last year. You start losing those games, and this year, you start losing games, and I just want them to stick together because we’re gonna break this rock,” Meyer said. “We will break this rock, and when we do, I want them enjoy it.”
News4Jax sports reporter and anchor Jamal St. Cyr said that frankly, there are a lot of football people who are jealous of Meyer, who won two national championships with Florida and another with Ohio State, for his past success.
“When you win games, you tend to make a lot of enemies,” St. Cyr said. “People like to see you lose.”
Then, St. Cyr said, there are Gators and Buckeyes fans who weren’t happy when he abruptly left their schools for health reasons.
“I think this will stick with him for a while,” he said. “I think this is something that was there before he joined the NFL, and it’s going to take a while before it wears off.”
One of the game announcers, Jay Feely with CBS Sports, had this to say after Sunday’s game:
“There’s a lot of vitriol out there for him, and I think a lot of it is unfair and unjust. He’s trying to establish himself out there as a rookie coach in the NFL.”
The criticism of Meyer and speculation have continued nationally in the press. There’s an opinion piece from USA Today with the headline, “Don’t feel bad for Jags’ Urban Meyer. This is what he wanted.”
Then there’s an article from 247Sports, citing multiple unnamed sources, that questions Meyer’s long-term commitment. The headline is “Jaguars coach could be ‘one and done’ in NFL, per report.”
When News4Jax reached out to the Jaguars for comment on those national reports, the organization referred to the quote from Meyer on Sept. 15 when he said: “I’m here and committed to try to build this organization.”