Urban Meyer – Page 6 – Syndication Server

Urban Meyer explains Andre Cisco’s lack of snaps, Walker Little’s healthy scratch

Meyer explained the decisions to limit Cisco and scratch Little from the active roster.

While Jacksonville made a number of major upgrades in free agency, it also had 10 picks in the 2021 NFL draft, and those selections were expected to play a major role in helping turn the franchise around this season. But in a 37-21 loss to Houston in Week 1, a couple of the expected playmakers were afterthoughts.

Many expected that third-round pick Andre Cisco would become a starter at safety sooner rather than later. But in a relatively surprising move, Andrew Wingard made the final roster and was given the start in Week 1.

He didn’t play well, and Cisco eventually got some action later in the game. But he only played on 23 snaps, and coach Urban Meyer said that Cisco was limited by a “pitch count” heading into this season.

“Yeah, [Andre] Cisco is really coming on,” he said. “You know, he’s a guy that we were told when we drafted him—we really thought highly of him, we still do—is that he had that ACL, so he’s still—was a little bit on that pitch count during training camp. [Andrew] Wingard was the most consistent throughout, missed a tackle, had a chance to make a couple plays. We’re still, we’re not throwing anybody under the bus yet, but Cisco is a guy that we believe has a great future and he played pretty well when he was in there.”

Given the fact that Cisco is coming off knee surgery just under a calendar year ago, this is an understandable approach. But based on the way Wingard played, the Jags need Cisco on the field playing starting reps as soon as possible.

The approach with second-round offensive tackle Walker Little is a little more concerning. Little struggled during the preseason, and he was a healthy scratch on Sunday. Meyer said that Will Richardson gave the team a better chance as a reserve tackle.

“…well, I think it’s eight linemen,” Meyer said about the approximate number of offensive linemen who should be active. “And we just felt like [Will] Richardson has been more consistent than Walker [Little] right now.”

Both of Jacksonville’s starting tackles were just average on Sunday, with some penalties hindering otherwise solid play. But Little was drafted to eventually succeed Cam Robinson on the left side, and it seems he has a long way to go if that’s going to be the case.

Urban Meyer on Jags’ mistakes in Week 1: ‘This is a marathon, not a sprint’

Meyer said he was frustrated with the mistakes the team made, including the 10 penalties.

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Jacksonville entered the season with hope. Not necessarily high expectations, but hope that the team would improve in the first season under new head coach Urban Meyer and the most talented quarterback the franchise has ever had in Trevor Lawrence.

Those hopes were quickly dashed on Sunday. In the Jaguars’ season opener against the Houston Texans, they were dominated on both sides of the ball en route to a 37-21 loss. Mistakes abounded as Lawrence threw three interceptions, and the team was penalized 10 times.

After the game, Meyer said that there is plenty of football left to be played but that he also believes the team will improve over time.

“I’ve been warned that this is a marathon, not a sprint… we’re still a work in progress…,” Meyer said, according to First Coast News’ Mia O’Brien. “I did not expect that today [but] I believe deeply in this team. Line up and go again.”

Those aforementioned penalties proved to be costly, consistently putting Lawrence and the offense behind the chains and creating third and long situations. Lawrence struggled with accuracy and decision-making, but the rest of the team didn’t do much to help him out.

Meyer said those penalties, which included multiple holding calls, illegal formations, and a costly offsides penalty on fourth and short, were what frustrated him the most.

“Self-inflicted, seven penalties on the first three or four drives… That was the biggest disappointment.”

Many wondered how Meyer, who has no experience coaching at the NFL level, would adjust to the differences in the game. The season is still young, but that learning curve seemed noticeable on Sunday.

The Jaguars return home next week for their home opener against the Denver Broncos. They’ll hope to leave those mental mistakes behind in Houston.

Urban Meyer aims to keep perfect season-opening streak alive against Houston

Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer has never lost a season opener as a head coach, a streak he hopes to keep alive on Sunday.

Urban Meyer has been a head coach for a long time. Since 2001, he’s only spent three seasons not in that role when he was taking gaps between jobs. And in that span, he’s done something fairly unbelievable.

He has never lost a season opener. Ever. Not at Bowling Green State, not at Utah, not at Florida, and not at Ohio State. Of course, that’s an easier streak to pull off in college football, where Week 1 contests are often buy-games against much weaker competition.

But that couldn’t be further from the case in the NFL, where every game presents a matchup with relative parity. And if Meyer’s going to continue that streak into his career as a professional coach, it won’t be easy.

“I don’t remember ever coming out of the chute where the talent is equated across the board and you have a young quarterback,” Meyer said, according to Yahoo Sports. “So, yeah, it is a lot going on. But I like where we are at.”

Luckily, he has about as good a first draw as he could ask for. The Jags open the 2021 season on the road against a Houston Texans team who many believe to have the worst roster in football. The quarterback situation is murky, to say the least, and the Texans have hemorrhaged both talent and draft picks over the last couple of seasons.

Still, Meyer said the unexpected nature of openers still makes him nervous, despite the heavy preparation he is undertaking this time around.

“All coaches get there, and if they tell you they are not, then they are probably not being truthful with you,” Meyer said. “I am one of those people, if you remember. It’s every T crossed, every I dotted and every tip sheet, ‘Why didn’t we dot the I on this tip sheet?’

“So instead of players, I drive coaches crazy. I just want to make sure those players have a shot.”

Given the unpredictable nature of the NFL, it’s unlikely the streak will survive if Meyer plans to stay in Jacksonville for the long haul. But he has a very good chance to extend it at least one more year on Sunday when Jags fans get their first glimpse of the new-look team in real competition.

Jaguars vs. Texans: 3 things to know about Week 1’s game

The Jags’ and Texans’ Week 1 season opener will be 1-of-2 where two first-year HCs will face off. The other will be between ATL and PHI.

The Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up their 2021 preseason over a week ago, and now six days remain before their regular season opener. In that game, they will travel to Houston to take on their AFC South foes in the Texans, which presents Urban Meyer and his young team with a chance to start with a divisional win.

Both teams will be looking to bounce back from terrible seasons where the Jags only registered one win while the Texans only had four. That resulted in both organizations overhauling their staffs and player personnel, which has both fan bases very intrigued.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding these new units, here are three things to know as we inch closer to the start of the Jags’ and Texans’ 2021 regular season opener.

Urban Meyer says decision to trade Gardner Minshew II was an emotional one

Meyer said he was “choked up” when he spoke to Minshew after the trade.

Jacksonville’s de jure quarterback battle came to an end this week when coach Urban Meyer named first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence the starter. Shortly after, the Jaguars did what many expected them to do a while ago and traded two-year starter Gardner Minshew II to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional sixth-round pick.

The Jags may have their quarterback of the future entrenched, but Meyer said the decision to move on from Minshew was far from an easy one.

“That was tough, man,” Meyer said after Sunday’s preseason finale. “I was a little choked up when I saw him in that office. I walk in and, you know, I didn’t know him at all. It didn’t start off on the best of terms because I’m not sure how much he wanted to be here. I get it. First overall pick. He’s a competitive maniac, that guy. And I get it. I told him for the rest of his life, count me as a big fan because he’s what you want. He’s a warrior. He’s competitive.”

Minshew had a solid rookie season in 2019, but he battled injuries in 2020 and saw his production drop off in the games he was able to play in. Though the coaches talked him up in camp this offseason, he struggled during his appearances in the preseason, making it clear the team needed to roll the dice with Lawrence.

It’s clear that Meyer and many others within the Jaguars organization have a lot of respect for Minshew, a former sixth-round pick who took over the reins as a rookie when free-agent signing Nick Foles went down with an injury in the first game. That respect extends to the player who just beat him out for the starting job.

“Me and Gardner had a really good relationship,” Lawrence said on Sunday. “He’s always treated me really well since I’ve gotten here. Helped me as much as he could. We just had a really transparent relationship. We would talk about things and I will always be rooting for him. He’s a great player, super smart. I’ve learned a ton from him. I don’t really know about the details of the situation in Philly so I can’t really know if that is a good spot or not. But, I know wherever he goes, he is going to make the most of his opportunities. I am excited to watch him. I am going to miss him. He is a really great teammate. I am excited for him, excited for him to get an opportunity.”

Minshew joins a Philadelphia Eagles roster that could use another body at quarterback. The team enters the season with a second-year quarterback in Jalen Hurts, but he has a lot to prove in 2021. Behind him, there’s only aging veteran Joe Flacco, who hasn’t been capable of playing at a starting level for a few years now.

In what is shaping up to be a tough year in Philadelphia, Minshew will almost certainly get a chance at some point this year after things didn’t work out in Jacksonville.

Jaguars coach Urban Meyer says he expects to play starters in final preseason game

Meyer said most healthy starters will play in the final preseason game against Dallas.

Jacksonville’s first-teamers haven’t had the best showing in the preseason. In the losses against Cleveland and New Orleans, the Jaguars allowed their opponent to move quickly down the field and couldn’t get much going on the offensive side of the ball themselves.

For Jags fans looking for reassurance that the team will take a major leap forward, there hasn’t been much to grasp onto through the first two games. But according to coach Urban Meyer, there will be another chance. At his press conference on Wednesday, he said that healthy starters will play in the final preseason game.

“My anticipation is, [if] you’re ready to play, you gotta play,” Meyer said.

Starting edge rusher Josh Allen remains on the COVID-19/Reserve list, and interior offensive lineman Andrew Norwell likely won’t play due to injury. Center Brandon Linder could be on the same boat. Left tackle Cam Robinson, who also missed the game against New Orleans, is expected to play in the final game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Meyer said that the potential season-ending foot sprain that rookie running back Travis Etienne suffered in the last game has impacted his decision a bit, but that he decides to stop playing guys when he feels that they’re game-ready.

“It’s all with the position,” Meyer said. “Our job — the term that I’ve always used is ‘game-ready.’ Once someone’s game-ready, they’re done. We’re a young team right now.”

Players that Meyer said are game-ready (or close) right now include Linder, Marvin Jones Jr., and Myles Jack. Allowing starters to see preseason action is always a gamble, but this is also a team that doesn’t have many players who can afford to turn down reps.

It will be interesting to see how long the healthy starters play on Sunday, but Meyer surely wants to see more from his ones before the start of the regular season.

Urban Meyer calls Travis Etienne’s injury a ‘shot to the jaw’

Jags HC Urban Meyer really liked what he saw out of Travis Etienne in practice and believes the team took a big blow after his injury.

The Jacksonville Jaguars sustained their first significant injury of the 2021 season, and it was one sustained by first-round pick Travis Etienne. In the first half of Monday’s preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, he endured a foot sprain that sidelined him after just one carry and reception. Then on Tuesday, it was revealed that the injury would require surgery, which caused him to be designated to injured reserve.

With Jags coach Urban Meyer taking questions from the media Wednesday, Etienne’s situation was one of the first topics discussed, and the first-year head coach didn’t hold back about how significant of a blow the team took.

“It was a shot to the jaw,” said Meyer. “He was really coming on in practice. We saw his big-play ability in practice, not in a game yet. [It’s] a tough injury. How do we fill that? We’re still having that conversation right now.”

The Jags drafted Etienne 25th overall this April out of Clemson in hopes that he would bring speed and explosion to an offense that needed it. He flashed at times in training camp but wasn’t able to translate it to the Jags’ first two preseason games, registering just two carries for three yards. Additionally, as a receiver, he only had a catch for three yards.

In a nutshell, the Jags were hoping they would have a running back who would help them immensely on the receiving end, and it’s now back to the drawing board. They have speed options on the team to help them like Tavon Austin, who is a versatile player the Dallas Cowboys once listed as a running back. However, it’s probably best the Jags let him focus on playing receiver and returning kicks and punts.

As for the free-agent market, a name that has been mentioned is running back Duke Johnson, who has 2,829 career receiving yards and 12 touchdowns to his name. He last played for the Houston Texans last season, so he’s well aware of the division. And if not him, the Jags are atop of the waiver order, so that could be an option as well.

James Robinson should be named the No. 1 player at the position, while Carlos Hyde is likely to be behind him. Then behind those two are Dare Ogunbowale, Devine Ozigbo, and Nathan Cottrell, all of whom have made plays in the preseason that could land them at the RB4 role when it comes to naming the final roster.

Urban Meyer discusses Jaguars’ offensive performance vs. Saints

Meyer saw some positives from the game, but he said the team isn’t showing enough balance.

The Jacksonville Jaguars played quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the entire first half of the preseason loss to New Orleans on Monday night, and the rest of the starters were on the field for most of that time. It was an extended look at the offense, but it was limited by poor offensive line play.

Starters Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, and Brandon Linder were all inactive, and Lawrence didn’t get much protection from the patchwork group. He finished the game 14-of-23 for 113 yards, but he didn’t have time in the pocket to make any particularly impressive plays.

After the game, coach Urban Meyer, known for his success as an offensive coach, conceded that it’s been a bit of a mess from the starting group for two weeks now.

“The starting offense, for two weeks in a row, we are just struggling to get in some rhythm,” he said. “We kind of went into the game, let’s run the ball at them a little bit with play-action and getting Trevor (Lawrence) comfortable a little bit. I know that he had a nice play to his left, threw it down the field, and made a heck of a play. We are not balanced right now. When you get stuffed. There were too many off-schedule plays in the first half. (There were) three threes and out other than that one first down. Trevor did a nice job on that two-minute drill and we were able to pound it in there. We’ve got to get our offensive line back and play better and run the ball.”

That lack of balance can be at least partially attributed to the offensive line play, as James Robinson was the leading rusher on the night with just 13 yards.

The offense couldn’t enter the end zone until late in the game when C.J. Beathard led two quick scoring drives with mostly third-string players on the field. However, Meyer said he thought the offense still opened up a little bit compared to the first game.

“It didn’t look like it, but we did,” he said. “We’ve just got to keep swinging. We are going to swing. I just told them that I am looking for fighters and I am looking for competitors. We will have a locker room full of competitors. I think that we’ve got a bunch of them. I am learning a lot about them and they are learning a lot about us. A young guy like Tavon Austin, he’s actually not that young anymore, I just love that guy. He’s an energizer bunny for me. I’m just looking for that. I am looking for guys that show that spark and that energy.”

Austin has been one of the preseason standouts for the Jags, and he could be the cure for some of the offensive sluggishness. Known for his speed, he’s made more plays than some other receivers who have seen more playing time. He’s currently staking a very strong claim to make the final roster despite being a late addition.

It hasn’t been what Jags fans hoped to see from the offense in the first two games, but they’ll hope that the group can show some sort of spark in the final game with a (hopefully) healthier offensive line.

Stock up, stock down following the Jags’ preseason loss to the Saints

The Jags’ second preseason game against the Saints wasn’t pretty at all, but nonetheless we were able to put together a stock report after the 23-21 loss.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have wrapped up stop No. 2 of their preseason tour after sustaining another loss, but this time it was to the New Orleans Saints in the form of a 23-21 final score.

It was a game where the starters on offense and defense didn’t exactly come out how fans wanted, leaving several concerns as the preseason heads into its final week. As always, though, there also were a few good things to take away from the process, too.

Here’s a stock report of both members on the team who are ascending and some who are descending as the Jags have passed the mid-way point of their 2021 preseason:

Urban Meyer on Gardner Minshew’s competitive streak: ‘He’s a warrior’

Despite the fact that Trevor Lawrence is likely the Jags’ QB of the near-future, Urban Meyer is a fan of the ‘warrior’ mentality that Gardner Minshew has brought with him.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer didn’t know much about Gardner Minshew II when he was hired, but found out quickly during their offseason program how hard of a worker he is. As a result, he’s grown to respect the third-year player a lot, which may be playing a part in the team not naming a QB1 yet.

Of course, it’s still hard to find anyone who believes Trevor Lawrence won’t be the starter, but Meyer told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that he’s impressed with Minshew’s relentless mentality despite the circumstances.

“Well, Minshew’s not giving it up,” Meyer said … “He’s a much different player than Trevor. Trevor’s a down-the-field passer, this guy’s a scramble-around, make-plays guy, but I’ll tell you what he really is, he’s a warrior. And I appreciate warriors. It’s a street fight right now.”

While most who’ve attended practice wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s a street fight, they probably would agree that Minshew is a top-10 backup quarterback in the league. That’s why it’s hard to imagine that teams won’t be showing interest in him over the coming weeks, but at the same time, that’s also why many Jags fans feel Meyer is trying to raise Minshew’s stock. So, in other words, there may be a mixture of genuine respect for Minshew and the potential desire to trade him.

When asked about the status of who will start in Monday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Jags, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said that it would likely be Lawrence. With that being the case, Lawrence could end up taking the field with the starters for his second consecutive preseason game, which would show the team’s dedication to seeing how the rookie fares against the best competition on their schedule.