Jaguars prepare for Tennessee Titans as coach Urban Meyer remains under scrutiny

As the Jaguars players came off the field Thursday after practice, many looked spirited. 

Some were even playful, like Adam Gotsis, who playfully tapped linebacker Damien Wilson as he stood in front of a camera during a television interview. 

While Urban Meyer remains under scrutiny for two viral videos that surfaced this past week, including one showing him touching a woman's backside with his right hand, it appears his players have blocked the distractions.

On Thursday, players were in pads, footballs got tossed and drills went forth with high intensity - everything appeared to look normal for the second consecutive day of preparations for Sunday's game against the AFC South rival Tennessee Titans.  

Meyer was spirited on the practice field during the open portion of practice. His offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell raved about the progress of his unit but said they have to finish games better.

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Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen said Thursday morning they are facing a great opponent in the Titans, praising that their preparation has been great and he's excited to get to Sunday.  

At 0-4 and on a 19-game losing streak since last season, the Jaguars have yet another formidable challenge.

And defensive end Jihad Ward said nothing has gotten in the way of their preparation.

''This is not a distraction; this is a bunch of negative stuff we got all week,'' Ward said. ''At the end of the day, Urban Meyer, I mean coach, we're holding it down. 

''This is no "I feel the bad"-type situation. Like I said, it's players that get into trouble, and there are coaches that get in trouble every time. They learn from it and move on. This is not no 'I made a mistake and now it's time to shut you down.' I promise you - we're 100 percent not worried about this.''

Still, the fallout from the viral videos of Meyer remains prevailing on social media. Pro Football Talk posted a story Thursday speculating possible candidates to replace Meyer if he resigns or gets fired. 

Meyer's wife, Shelley, said on social media Thursday that she was posting her final Tweet: ''We all make mistakes - we are all sinners. If you think you aren't? Then cast the first stone.'' 

Though the practices look normal, the Jaguars appear to be like the latest reality show. 

What's coming next, no one knows. 

However, Ward said it's not their job as NFL players to worry about everybody's personal lives. 

''What I'm trying to say is that everybody is not perfect,'' Ward said. ''Sometimes people just be hating, they just find anything that draws attention. This is a part where everybody got to find some type of evidence to prove that  - yeah, this is me. The fame is on me, I caught this guy. Here I go, let's try this. We are all targets.''        

Second-year offensive guard Ben Bartch, who will earn his first start in place of injured A.J. Cann, said this week is like every other.

''We just care about our jobs and winning games,'' Bartch said. ''We all have good mindsets about it. That's the only thing we're concerned with. We're professional.''

The Jaguars have not won a game since Week 1 in 2020 when they upset the Indianapolis Colts, 27-20, at TIAA Bank Field. If they lose to Titans on Sunday, the Jaguars' 20th consecutive loss will put them just six losses away from tying the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 26-game losing streak, the longest in modern NFL history.

Outside linebacker Josh Allen called Sunday's game an opportunity for a new start, a new quarter.

''This one’s going to be huge,'' he said. ''We’re locked in. As soon as we step in the building, man, it’s football. All the distractions that everybody’s dealing with at

home, whatever, as soon as you step into the facility, it’s all about football. It’s all about the team, and it’s all about winning, preparation. As soon as you step into this building, as soon as we all step in the building, our main focus is the Titans. We’ve kept that and that’s where our minds are at and that’s where we’re going to be this Sunday.”

For Meyer, it might the most important game he has coached in a long time. Meyer knows he's on the brink with owner Shad Khan's ultimatum issued Tuesday that he must regain their trust and respect.

Meyer has apologized to his players multiple times since Monday.

''There’s nothing more important in the locker room—the context of that is it’s my responsibility to earn their trust back as their leader, as the guys that I’m very close with, a bunch of them, and it’s always been that way with our teams and organizations,'' Meyer said. 

''This is a player’s team, it’s a player’s organization. Our job is to direct them, but they’re the decision makers in the organization and I have always felt that way.”