Those that thought the Jacksonville Jaguars would beat the San Francisco 49ers had their hopes shattered after losing 30-10. This was arguably the Jags’ worst loss of the season, as they were outmatched in all three phases of the game. And a report early Sunday should have been a sign of things to come.
Hours before the game, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported Urban Meyer wanted to simplify the offense and add some of the ROP elements that helped Trevor Lawrence succeed at the collegiate level. La Canfora added the Jaguars head coach has clashed with his staff, often in front of players.
After the game, Meyer told the local media he hadn’t seen the report but refuted it, saying he has high expectations but would not cross the line.
"I am very transparent that I’ve always been. We have high expectations and when someone’s not performing well, we have hard conversations. But that’s the game of football, so that report is incorrect."
Now, disagreement is going to take place when a group of people has different ideas on how to reach a common goal. Every now and then, things are going to get heated, and it’s up to Meyer to call out his coaching staff if they aren’t delivering results. On the other hand, that shouldn’t happen in front of his players.
There are times and places to give feedback and doing it in front of the players is not it. That’s like going to the retail store and seeing the general manager berate the employees in front of the customers. You pull the man to the side, let him know what’s happening, and discuss a course of action.
Also, the Jaguars’ haven’t played well in recent weeks. While some of that falls on the players, the coaching staff, at least on the offensive side of the ball, must shoulder some of the blame. However you look at it, the results just aren’t there.
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if the Jags’ coaching staff undergoes changes next offseason, For the time being, here are a few more takeaways from the Jaguars’ loss to the Niners.
Penalties, not performance are holding the Jaguars back.
The Jaguars’ defense has played well in recent weeks but they had a down performance in Week 11, giving up 30 points to the Niners. Spending more time on the field because the offense couldn’t score didn’t help matter but they still played a role in the loss.
Edge rusher Josh Allen has been arguable the Jaguars’ most valuable defensive player and it may be difficult to find someone that plays harder than him. Maybe as hard but not harder. Also, he should be one of the few players that did not play a role in Sunday’s loss. After the game, he talked about one reason the Jags’ struggled.
Allen said the defense was winning individual matchups but penalties are hurt their overall performance.
"I feel like if we didn’t have as many penalties or we would have momentum earlier, I feel that I could have changed the outcome of the game. But the way it happened, it is what it is. We lost bad and it’s embarrassing."
Allen also said he and his teammates must hold themselves accountable, watch film and learn from their mistakes, so they don’t repeat them.
The Jaguars shot themselves on the foot, committing eight penalties for 56 yards. Safety Rayshawn Jenkins was probably the worst of the bunch, getting flagged twice. First for a defensive holding and later for punching 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, which got him ejected from the game.
The offense wasn’t much better and was plagued by penalties for the second straight week. This doesn’t reflect well on both the coaching staff and the players. As long as the Jaguars don’t fix this issue, they will struggle to win games.
Jaguars players are sticking together after their loss to the 49ers.
Losing can be taxing. You can remain optimistic in the face of adversity but at some point, it gets the better of you. The 2021 Jaguars had a five-game losing streak to start the season but didn’t let the losing get to them, eventually beating the Miami Dolphins in Week 6. They’ve now lost two straight contests. First to the Indianapolis Colts and then to the Niners.
You will hear Jaguars players are disappointed, and why wouldn’t they? But they aren’t letting the lack of wins divide them and remind united in spite of their most recent loss. Trevor Lawrence told the local media they all need to play better and there isn’t much he can do but lean on each other and fix the issues that have surrounded the team.
"We got to just stick together, keep fighting, and go play our best ball moving forward. You kind of see in years past other teams and maybe even here, wherever, where end of the season just keeps going downhill it’s no we’re not going to do that."
Now, nobody expected the Jaguars to become a powerhouse in Year 1 of the Urban Meyer era. Even those that were optimistic, saw them winning seven or eight games in 2021. So far, they’ve won two but there’s still time to address the issues that have plagued them and end the season on a strong note. It won’t be easy but it’s doable.
Next on the Jaguars schedule is an Atlanta Falcons team that is coming off a 25-0 loss to the New England Patriots. Jacksonville will have the chance to put an end to their two-game losing streak or extend it to three. At this point, it’s up to them.