With the 2021-22 NFL season well underway, let’s take a look at how our hometown heroes have fared so far.
Disclaimer: This article was written between Week 1 and Week 2 of the regular season.
The Good: The Potential of Trevor Lawrence
Yes, he threw three interceptions. Do you know who else threw three interceptions in their first NFL game? Peyton Manning. While Lawrence certainly has a ways to go in his very young career, he did throw for 332 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the Texans. In addition to the three interceptions, Lawence had some easy overthrows, which were all on him, and some easy drops by his receivers, which were all on them. Still, anyone with an eye for football can see that Lawrence has the tools to become a long-term franchise quarterback. Now, his head coach on the other hand ...
The Bad: Urban Meyer
Stop me if you've heard this one: An uber-successful college football coach packs his bags and makes his way to the NFL only to discover he left his "success" back in college. Rumors of Urban Meyer's temper and coaching style rubbing players and staff the wrong were already a thing before the start of the season. After a loss to a Texans team led by the backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, and a 31-year-old running back, Mark Ingram, Meyer’s stock is trending down. We've seen this before. Chip Kelly tried to bring his fast-paced offense to the NFL and failed, returning to college football soon after. We've also seen the likes of Pete Carroll, who failed his first time out as an NFL coach for the New York Jets, returned to college, returned to the NFL to coach the Seahawks and hasn't looked back. Urban Meyer’s NFL story isn't over yet, but boy, is that first chapter a downer.
The Ugly: The Culture
The late great Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” With a 1-16 record in the last 17 games, this is a habit the Jags need to break ASAP. However, rumors of Urban Meyer continuing to clash with players and staff certainly aren’t helping. Now, a coach can be as hard-nosed as he wants when the team wins (just ask Bill Belichick), but the team isn’t winning. And while this is all still rumor and hearsay, if Meyer loses the locker room, the jokes about him heading back to college may be more accurate than we think. Regardless of whether Meyer or even Trevor Lawrence is in Jacksonville next season, the Jags need to pull themselves out of the hole they’ve dug before they end up with another single-win season.
For more fun articles on a variety of subjects, be sure to check out our other Mirador & Stovall at River City blog posts.