Urban Meyer’s first year in Jacksonville hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.
With the Jaguars currently sitting in the basement of the AFC South at 2-9, the rookie head coach spoke Monday about troubles plaguing the team, noting that wide receivers are running the wrong routes. Meyer also elaborated on how a rotating cast can potentially impact the passing game.
“You’ve got a 22-year-old quarterback and you keep rotating receivers — no one’s fault, just guys get dinged, guys get hurt,” he said.
Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been without many offensive weapons this season, including running back Travis Etienne Jr. and wide receiver DJ Clark Jr. This week, the Jaguars also lost tight end Dan Arnold to a knee injury, days after wide receiver Jamal Agnew went down with a season-ending hip injury.
When asked Monday how concerned he is about the changing lineup possibly affecting Lawrence’s growth, Meyer said, “We have to fix it.”
“Am I concerned? Sure,” Meyer began. “Concerned about everything, but that’s the reality of the game of football. The pass game part is about consistency and timing. When you have — like I said, to no one’s fault — when you have two guys go down and you’re just kind of rolling through guys, it’s a little bit more difficult on a quarterback. So yeah, it’s a problem.”
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer speaks to the media on Monday.TwitterDespite the issues, Meyer did sing Lawrence’s praises following Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Falcons.
“I thought he competed his tail off,” Meyer said of the first overall pick.
Lawerence completed 23 of 42 passes for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He and the Jaguars will face a desperate Rams team — 7-4 but losers of three straight — in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor LawrenceGetty ImagesWith the 2021 regular season winding down, it’s likely there will be some changes to the Jaguars this offseason. Although it remains to be seen if Meyer will be around for it, a league source told ESPN on Tuesday that the coach has no interest in jumping back to college in wake of the Notre Dame opening.
