Urban Meyer came to the Jacksonville Jaguars as a great hope. But five losses and one scandal later, the new head coach is under a lot of pressure very early on this season. The London Game against the Miami Dolphins could well be a landmark game for Meyer.

London – Casually, with sunglasses on his nose, dressed in light jeans and a Jacksonville Jaguars club jacket, Urban Meyer strolled around the practice field of his team’s quarters in London before the second game of the “NFL International Series” against the Miami Dolphins, throwing a pass or two back and forth with his quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

A scene apparently intended to demonstrate a certain intimacy between the Jaguars’ controversial head coach and the current top pick of the 2021 draft. Whether this is true in reality is at least a little doubtful.

Meyer: “What else can I say now?!”

After all, Lawrence publicly contradicted his head coach after the 19:37 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, thus demonstratively distancing himself from him verbally and in public when he clearly countered Meyer’s statement that the signal caller is not ready for quarterback sneaks: “That’s not true. In fact, I’m very comfortable with it and would do it.” In London, Lawrence was now again asked the question, “Quarterback sneak, yes or no?” His answer, mixed with an obviously played, because badly exaggerated laugh: “Yes…What else can I say now?”

So there is a lot going on in Jacksonville at the moment. Both Lawrence and above all Meyer were brought to the “Sunshine State” to finally lead the franchise back on the right track, i.e. at best upwards. But the reality is different: The Jaguars currently have zero wins and five defeats – and the season-long losing streak has lasted 20 games. The last win was over a year ago. Add to that the scandal surrounding head coach Meyer, who is shown dancing closely with a young woman – not his wife, by the way – in a video that has gone viral on social media.

Vollmer on Meyer: “For me, he’s sitting on a ‘hot seat'”

Jaguars owner Shahid Khan’s rebuke and Meyer’s public, remorseful apology followed on its heels. But cracks have remained. This is palpable, but also unmistakable. “This drama and the simultaneous lack of success are not a good combination,” says then German ex-pro and two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Sebastian Vollmer. “For me, he is clearly sitting on a ‘hot seat’. And with actions like that, I think he’s also more and more losing the locker room.”

But none of that should matter now in London. The Jaguars want to finally celebrate their first victory – and if it doesn’t work out in the USA, then it will in England. And for this, the great harmony is being demonstrated very conspicuously to the outside world. “We will achieve the turnaround,” Meyer said confidently in front of the assembled press in London. “We have an outstanding locker room with really great guys who work hard every day and give everything for the success of this team.” Incidentally, the Jaguars head coach mentions over and over again that this Jaguars team is made up entirely of “great guys”, “outstanding characters” and “unbelievable hard workers”. There is no trace of negative vibrations between the team and him as coach. At least that is the picture Meyer presents to the public.

Potential for improvement in defence

It’s fitting that he’s “noticed such good developments with Trevor and the whole offence”. In contrast, he sees some catching up to do with the Jaguars defence. “There’s certainly some things to fix on defence,” he said. And further: “You simply don’t win games in the NFL with too many turnovers in the offence and too few self-generated ball wins in the defence”. A clear message. But Meyer believes in his team, is sure that the development of all his players is going in the right direction and that the first win of the season and thus the first success in a year is within reach.

Whether this will happen against the Miami Dolphins remains to be seen. A win would certainly do the internal harmony good. If Jacksonville loses again, Meyer’s chair could really start to wobble. He is currently a head coach on probation. Success must come back to the Jaguars – otherwise the Meyer era in Jacksonville could be over sooner than everyone around this franchise had hoped a few months ago.