The Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing for their first game of the season without Urban Meyer, and it sounds like their interim head coach is already trying to clean up some of the mess that Meyer left behind.
Running back James Robinson was benched for large stretches in consecutive games recently due to some ball security issues. There were reports that assistant coaches wanted to put Robinson back in the game during those times, but Meyer forced Robinson to sit out . Jaguars interim coach Darrell Bevell was asked about Robinson’s status on Thursday, and he gave a very telling response.
“James Robinson is our starting running back and he will be played as such,” Bevell said sternly.
Bevell’s smirk said it all. Keep in mind that he’s also Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator. It’s possible he was one of the people who was overruled by Meyer when Robinson was pulled out of games.
Robinson sat for 20 consecutive plays after he fumbled against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. He was benched for 16 straight plays when he lost a fumble against the Atlanta Falcons the week before. Carlos Hyde also fumbled against L.A., but he was back on the field on Jacksonville’s next drive.
Robinson rushed for over 1,000 yards last year and has averaged 4.8 yards per carry this season. He’s clearly Jacksonville’s best back. Benching him was viewed by many as a major misstep for Meyer, and even Trevor Lawrence made it clear he did not approve.
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