When Jacksonville hired Urban Meyer last offseason, it was hiring a coach who, in addition to his track record on offense, had a history of coaching stellar special teams. Many thought that unit could be a strength for the Jags this season, but that’s not exactly how things turned out.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Rick Gosselin, the Jaguars ranked just 24th in the NFL when it came to special teams, another aspect of Meyer’s tenure that proved disappointing as the coach was fired 13 games into his first season.
There was a clear vision, as the team picked up one of the league’s top returners in free agency this offseason in Jamal Agnew. The speedster had one kick return touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 2, as well as a kick-six the following week against Arizona, but injuries on offense forced him into more action at receiver and he sustained a hip injury in the process. Jaydon Mickens, who the team signed from Tampa Bay’s practice squad, wasn’t quite as successful in replacement.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville struggled in special teams coverage, allowing three return touchdowns on the season.
While the Jags have a great punter in Logan Cooke (who got a lot of work this season), placekicker proved to be a bit of an issue. After a rough start to the season in which Josh Lambo missed his first three kicks and two of his first seven extra points, the team parted ways with the veteran. They signed Matthew Wright as a result, who missed two extra points of his own but had a solid conclusion to the season, hitting 21-of-24 field goals.
There were many disappointments for the Jaguars this season, but the special teams failures were among the more prevalent. It’s an area the team will need to focus on this offseason, among many others.
