Meyer on Jaguars’ Offensive Struggles: ‘I Just Felt Good About the Trajectory and That Changed About a Month Ago’
Things were all good a month ago for the Jacksonville Jaguars -- at least in comparison to where things currently stand on the offensive side of the ball.
A month ago, the Jaguars were just 1-5 but averaging 21 points per game during a three-game streak in which the offense and quarterback Trevor Lawrence showed steady development and improvement. But in the four weeks since, the Jaguars offense has fallen off a cliff, leaving head coach Urban Meyer looking for answers for a unit that at one point was promising but is now the biggest concern on the field.
“Really in the last month because there was a nice trajectory there for a minute," Meyer said on Tuesday.
"That’s when James [Robinson] was running the ball at the extremely high level and you’re getting good balance, run pass, and then the breaks hit after, when he got hurt against [the Seahawks]. I don’t want to put it on him but that’s coming off that win at London where it’s pretty good balance in that game and Trevor [Lawrence] played really well. We just have to get that back.”
The numbers back up Meyer's frustration, too. In the three games before the bye week, the Jaguars never had fewer than 21 first downs or 340 total yards. The Jaguars have failed to hit those marks in any of the last four games, with the Jaguars averaging 16.5 first downs and 264.5 yards per game. Lawrence, who averaged 256.66 yards per game during the three-game bump, has averaged just 164.5 yards per game through the air since the bye week, throwing just one touchdown in that period.
In short, the Jaguars' offense has been derailed at its core over the last month. It has resembled more of the offense from the season's first two weeks where the Jaguars averaged 17 points per game and struggled to generate first-downs or big plays. And so far, that offensive regression has become the point of contention in the Jaguars' recent slump.
“Once again, I felt beginning of the season was awful, but then against the Cardinals, you started seeing some good stuff and then you started seeing a nice trajectory. We ran the ball. We were up 19-10 and then we made a couple mistakes against the Cardinals. I just felt good about the trajectory and that changed about a month ago.”
The rushing game's decline has played a large role in the Jaguars' struggling offense -- perhaps the largest factor in the recent sluggish performances. The Jaguars were No. 12 in rushing EPA/Play and No. 3 in rushing success rate from Weeks 4-6 as they averaged 140.33 yards per game and James Robinson looked like a Pro Bowler. The offense was getting better each week, with Lawrence's development and Robinson's legs leading the way.
Robinson was injured after just a few series in the first week after the bye, however, and the Jaguars' offense hasn't been the same since. Robinson missed just one game due to his heel/knee injury, but the numbers simply haven't been there. Since the bye week, the Jaguars rank No. 28 in rushing EPA/PLay and No. 23 in rushing success rate as the team has averaged 98.5 yards per game on the ground -- but take out Jamal Agnew's 66-yard run in Week 10, and the Jaguars are averaging just 82 yards per game in that span.
"What’s concerning is when you don’t win games and then also just I feel our staff has got to do a little bit of creativity, which I feel we haven’t done," Meyer said on Tuesday. "And we’ve got to get the ball in the hands of the guys that score. But we have to do that, that’s the problem. And James [Robinson], you could tell last week, was not full speed. We’ll have to get him full speed this week.”
Until the Jaguars get their rushing attack back on track, it appears unlikely the offense will improve. And while Lawrence has played well in a bad situation at times, it is clear his development has been impacted by the Jaguars' lack of offensive firepower. Week 11 was a perfect example, with Lawrence making good reads, accurate throws, and keeping the ball out of harm's way throughout the day, but still turning in a stat line that was far from impressive.
"Well, Trevor actually, I thought he played better this week than he did against Indianapolis. He played really well this week and you look at me like I’m nuts, but he did," Meyer said. "The guys around him didn’t play as well, but he’s growing up. He is already a tough guy and we got the right quarterback.”
That leaves it up to Meyer and his staff to figure out ways to stay on the field and find the end-zone. Lawrence's development is the key focus over the next seven games, and to this point the Jaguars have gotten just eight passing touchdowns out of a special quarterback prospect. It is past time for them to find out why, and how to finally stop the bleeding.
