AFC Notes: Jaguars, Urban Meyer, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

• ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentions multiple sources said players openly made fun of former Jaguars HC Urban Meyer in the locker room following the video of him and the woman at the bar that came out earlier this season. 
• Schefter adds Meyer alienated his assistants by having them plan deep into the night for preseason games. 
• Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson says Jaguars owner Shad Khan started meeting with Meyer and GM Trent Baalke following Sunday’s loss to the Titans that dropped the team to 2-11 and a report from NFL Network about dysfunction on the coaching staff. The meetings were to discuss the direction of the franchise and Meyer’s viability. 
• Robinson was told Khan felt Meyer had never been able to regain his footing as a leader following the video incident, and that combined with various media reports and the disappointing trajectory of first-round QB Trevor Lawrence convinced him he needed to make a change. 
• Aaron Wilson reports Jaguars’ interim HC Darrell Bevell is “wildly popular” in the locker room and is considered to be the “polar opposite” of Meyer regarding his style of leadership. 
• Wilson, citing a league source, writes that Meyer “alienated” all three levels of the Jaguars’ staff, including players, coaches, and personnel. 
• Wilson‘s league source indicates Meyer repeatedly scolded and insulted his coaching staff: “I had a better coaching staff at Bowling Green. You guys are f—ng terrible.”
• According to Wilson, Meyer made weekly threats to his coaching staff: “Urban (Meyer) threatened to fire the coaching staff every week, created atmosphere of fear and distrust.”
• Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich refused to answer questions about the Jaguars’ head coaching vacancy and added that he is focused on winning the NFC South: “I’m trying to win the division.” (Jenna Laine)

Texans

Texans fifth-round TE Brevin Jordan recalled his five-yard touchdown reception in Week 14 against the Seahawks. 

“I had a crossing route and they didn’t cover me,” Jordan said, via Aaron Wilson of Sportstalk790. “The whole time I was pretty much open and then Davis found me late and we scored. That’s it. I think that’s the coaches just putting me in good positions and God blessing me with the athletic ability to go play football. I think I’m just getting put in positions to score and that’s credit to the coaches, the offensive line and everybody doing their jobs.”

Jordan mentioned that the game is beginning to slow down for him and he is able to read defenses more easily. 

“I think it’s just me getting more comfortable,” Jordan said. “Getting more reps and just going out there and playing football. The first game, the speed of it, everything felt so fast. Now I am in my sixth game, I think, and everything is just slowing down. Being able to read coverages, see what the defensive line is going to do, so definitely being more comfortable.”

Jordan praised QB Davis Mills for his performance in Sunday’s game but thinks they must work toward finishing games. 

“I think he played well,” Jordan said. “Obviously as a team we didn’t play well enough to win the game, but you know I think Davis played a good game. Us as a team, the players just need to come together and emphasize going into this week that we need to finish games. We can come out strong but if we don’t finish the game, we are going to have the same result going into next week.”

Titans

Titans WR Julio Jones said he felt great coming out of Week 14’s game against the Jaguars and didn’t suffer “any setbacks” with his hamstring. 

“Just coming out of this game feeling the way I feel, I feel great,” Jones said, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “I didn’t have any setbacks. I didn’t feel it throughout the game or anything like that, so I’m very excited. Moving forward for myself, I feel great. I’m ready to go.”

Titans WRs coach Rob Moore said they must keep a “big-picture mentality” with Jones and ant to assure that he will be available for the rest of the season. 

“Anytime you’re in this situation, we kind of have a big-picture mentality,” Moore said. “We know that going forward, it’s in our best interests to make sure we don’t push the envelope too much because at the end of the day it’s about getting [Jones] through the remainder of the season and — hopefully — into the postseason.”

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill mentioned that he enjoys passing to Jones and thinks he brings an impact to their offense. 

“Any rep that we have together and get to connect is a good thing,” Tannehill said. “Keep stacking those good days. I love throwing him the ball. He does some good things for us. I’m seeing some good things from him, and I’m excited to have him out there.”