"It's Alabama every week" - Jaguars HC Urban Meyer tells Vic Fangio about facing NFL teams
When Urban Meyer left the NCAA and took the next step into the NFL, it was expected to be a tough transition.
Urban Meyer had won three National Championships with two different schools and was getting a generational QB in Trevor Lawrence when he was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, no one expected to see the Jags down 0-2 and Meyer looking lost and frazzled.
The #Jaguars released a statement after the NFLPA said it would investigate Urban Meyer’s comments about cut-down day and unvaccinated players: “No player was released because of their vaccination status.” https://t.co/6JWyjoCLlP
Through the first two weeks of the 2021 season, Urban Meyer has been outscored 60-34. The Jacksonville Jaguars rank in the bottom ten in defense and offense. Things have been just as bad off the field as well for Urban Meyer.
The NFLPA conducted an investigation into the Jaguars after Meyer made comments about taking vaccination status into consideration when making his roster cuts. He has been fairly vocal about his stance on the COVID-19 vaccines. The NFLPA hasn't found anything that would warrant a punishment for Meyer and the team, though.
After the Denver Broncos defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-13 in Week 2, Urban Meyer and Denver head coach Vic Fangio chatted.
"Lot of good players in this league, man. It's Alabama every week."
#Broncos Fangio said Urban Meyer told him the NFL is like “facing Alabama every week.” #Denver7 https://t.co/wh7GtWx7ah
That's a comment Meyer made to Fangio, comparing every NFL game as being akin to preparing for a national championship against Nick Saban and Alabama. Honestly, it is a pretty fair comparison for someone who has quite a history with Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots in college football. Alabama have never lost more than two games in a season since 2010. Like Urban Meyer, Saban had a terrible time in the NFL from 2005-2006 with the Miami Dolphins.
You can just look at Urban Meyer on the sideline or at a press conference and notice that the stress and fatigue have got to him. It has gotten so bad in Jacksonville two weeks into the season that many people anticipated Urban Meyer to take the USC head coach job a few weeks ago after Clay Helton was fired.
#Jaguars HC Urban Meyer shoots down the USC rumors right away, “no way.” https://t.co/I3LiWOtvF8
Why has Urban Meyer struggled with the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Coaching in the NFL is no easy feat, and not everyone ends up with a winning record in their career. Some part of the job involves luck as well. It's Urban Meyer's first season, and he has a rookie QB, his first-round RB on IR, and has several other star players banged up.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' schedule isn't the easiest either. They faced Tyrod Taylor and a Texans team that had more spunk than expected. The following week was against one of the better rosters in the NFL - Denver. This week happens to be against the Arizona Cardinals, who are 2-0, and solid on both sides of the ball.
Don't worry.
I asked Urban Meyer about #Cardinals, @BoilerFootball alum Rondale Moore 😅
#Jaguars | @FCN2go https://t.co/tQfGXJouR5
No one expected Urban Meyer to make the playoffs or even have more than seven wins this season. He inherited a roster that was pretty poor to begin with. There's a reason they had the no. 1 pick in the draft.
All hope is not lost, though, as Urban Meyer still has one important thing going for him: his team hasn't quit on him. So he needs to do likewise.