Right here’s a query we requested about the Jaguars again at the starting of October, when it was clear Urban Meyer had already give up on this crew after he realized couldn’t bully his gamers, assistants and weaker colleges to success: What is this man nonetheless doing right here?
Following Sunday’s 20–0 loss to the Titans, one among Jacksonville’s least inspiring performances of the 12 months (which is saying loads), Meyer trotted to midfield alone, a husk of the coach who walked into proprietor Shad Khan’s workplace some undetermined time in the past and promised he might do the job higher than anybody else, with the remainder of his uninspired membership milling round behind him. He stood at the podium mumbling solutions to questions Sunday as if he have been performing some sort of dangerous Andy Kauffman impression with out the absurdist punchline. In any look, be it in entrance of the media or in the locker room after video games, he has all the presence and vitality of an unlit, off-brand candle. So once more, we’ll ask: What is Meyer nonetheless doing teaching the Jaguars? How is the crew, in any approach, benefitting from his presence?
There are folks throughout all ranges of soccer who would willingly noticed off an arm to spend one Sunday as an NFL head coach. Raiders interim coach and particular groups coordinator Wealthy Bisaccia cried at his opening press convention, realizing full nicely that this was probably a short lived scenario. Lions coach Dan Campbell, who had seen so many teaching cycles move him by that he thought he may by no means get a chance, weeps after weekly losses throughout a bleak season as if each have been the final recreation of his highschool profession. I do know coaches who’ve seen half their youngsters’ lives over FaceTime, cramped in some dimly lit workplace, hoping to sooner or later get a crack at the job Meyer appears to be sleeping by frequently. To say that this constantly weird and easy efficiency is creating an excessive amount of cynicism round the league can be placing it terribly calmly.
The most recent spherical of anonymous reports noting that Meyer has berated his assistant coaches and known as them losers, which was vetted by NFL Media, present at the very least that sufficient persons are disgusted by Meyer that they might willingly danger their livelihood to leak his lowest moments. At the worst, this is simply the floor of a comically run crew sinking the developmental years of some exceptionally gifted younger gamers.
On Sunday, one among the most gifted quarterbacks to emerge on the skilled circuit in many years threw 4 interceptions. James Robinson adopted up final week’s mysterious benching with six runs for 4 yards. The one memorable play from the afternoon, when linebacker Damien Wilson expertly shot a niche and tackled Titans operating again D’Onta Foreman a number of yards in the backfield, completed with Wilson’s doing a sort of air guitar celebration in the backfield. However once you play for Meyer, it appears you possibly can solely muster the vitality for a quiet, acoustic efficiency.
Even if you’re the sunniest of optimists, which you may need to be in case you at present personal the Jaguars, is the plan to enable Meyer to displace the “loser” assistant coaches who’re drawing up these recreation plans? He steered after the recreation, as true leaders apparently do now, to fire the people who are whistleblowing their concerns to the press. And change them … with whom? Who, with any NFL expertise, is going to work for Meyer now? Who is going to come play right here? This is particularly a disgrace, given how a lot exhausting work Shad Khan’s earlier head coaches and common managers put into making this franchise respectable once more. Ok to attain an AFC title recreation. Ok to draw prime free brokers.
All of that is in jeopardy now, the longer this goes. Meyer benefitted unintentionally from the timing of the Washington electronic mail scandal that resulted in Jon Gruden’s ousting. The league and its stressed information cycle turned its consideration elsewhere, giving Meyer a blessed alternative to reclaim a team reportedly laughing at him behind his back. The end result was a win over the Payments that is wanting much less spectacular by the week and a handful of blowout losses.
Corey Perrine/USA TODAY Community
If the Jaguars are planning to let this proceed, they owe any of their loyal supporters a radical rundown of all the obvious profitable that is taking place in the background. What the actual winners have finished to counteract all the losers Meyer willingly selected to accompany him on this journey. What Meyer is aware of about the NFL that we simply haven’t seen boil to the floor.
We definitely didn’t get any of that on Sunday. Or the Sunday earlier than that. We definitely didn’t get that again in October, when Meyer skipped a crew flight residence and was seen having fun with himself at a bar. We didn’t get that in the Monday assembly Meyer cancelled in lieu of addressing his crew instantly following the scandal, or these inspirational weekly conferences since, the place a person billing himself as a consummate chief was reportedly dressing down a workers filled with weathered and skilled assistants.
If the Jaguars are getting one thing out of all this, we’re all ears. It will be fascinating to see Meyer’s course of and perceive how he’s ready to persuade anybody he is value conserving round proper now.
Extra NFL Protection:
