JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tension remains swirling within the Jaguars, as players and coaches struggle to please coach Urban Meyer, according to a blistering report from NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Saturday morning.
The Jaguars are 2-10 and mired in a four-game losing streak entering Sunday’s game at Tennessee.
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According to the report, Meyer has rubbed many within the organization wrong, insinuating that his assistant coaches are losers and demanding that they explain their individual accomplishments. Meyer won three national championships in stops at Florida and Ohio State, something that he’s reminded his staff of.
Also in Pelissero’s story was that Meyer ordered running back James Robinson to be benched after his fumble in last Sunday’s game against the Rams. Meyer danced around that question several times this past week, saying he wasn’t the person responsible for decisions like that. The decision to pull Robinson for much of the first half and play it off as injury-related (Robinson had been battling heel and knee issues) didn’t hold its weight because Robinson was in the game late when the Jaguars trailed by 30.
It took quarterback Trevor Lawrence speaking up on Robinson’s absence this week to get the point across that he needs to be on the field more.
Pelissero also said that receiver Marvin Jones was so irked by Meyer’s criticisms of the receiving group that he left the facility and had to be talked into returning. Jones and Meyer then got into an argument during practice.
Meyer’s first season in the NFL has been a rough experience.
The Jaguars are on pace to finish as the lowest-scoring team in the franchise’s 27-year history. Lawrence’s rookie season has been challenging and the offense, Meyer’s specialty, is among the league’s worst. Meyer endured a public relations nightmare after a Week 4 loss to the Bengals, remaining in Ohio instead of flying back with the team. He was then seen on a short video clip in his Columbus restaurant with his hand on the backside of a young woman who was not his wife.
That drew a public rebuke from owner Shad Khan and sent Meyer on an apology tour. Meyer also got national flack for hiring disgraced ex-Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle. The league also hit the Jaguars with a $200,000 fine and Meyer a $100,000 fine for OTA violations.