The Jacksonville Jaguars were facing enough scrutiny after an 0-4 start to the season, but things got even worse after Thursday night’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Video went viral of Urban Meyer and an unknown woman at a bar in Ohio, where Meyer stayed after the game instead of flying back with the team, and he has spent much of the last two days apologizing to his team, staff and the front office.
Owner Shad Khan issued a statement on Tuesday that says Meyer will need to work to regain the trust and respect of the organization, but it seems he still has his quarterback in his corner.
Rookie Trevor Lawrence told the media on Wednesday that the distraction isn’t impacting the way the team prepares both for this week’s game against the Tennessee Titans and the rest of this season.
“He’s still my head coach,” Lawrence said. “I still respect him, regardless of what happens. We’re a team and we figuring it out.”
Lawrence hasn’t had the rookie season many hoped he would so far. He’s completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes and has more interceptions (seven) than passing touchdowns (five).
But he had his most efficient game as a pro against Cincinnati, and he avoided turning the ball over. It’s clear Lawrence is improving and becoming more comfortable with the speed of the NFL game. The Jags will just hope the head coach becoming a distraction doesn’t take away from that progression this week.