Darrell Bevell explains how Jags are constructing playbook
Jacksonville’s offensive coaching staff is littered with bright offensive minds. Between head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer, there are a lot of people influencing the creation of the playbook.
One might be concerned about a “too many cooks in the kitchen” scenario, but on a recent podcast appearance with John Oehser, Bevell said they are attempting to blend the strengths of the different offensive coaches when crafting an offensive scheme.
“We have feelings of what he [Meyer] likes, what he wants to do, where he’s at – but then we’re able to blend where [passing-game coordinator] Brian [Schottenheimer] has been, where I’ve been and where [offensive line coach] George [Warhop] has been,” Bevell said. “We want to be able to blend all that together to be able to come up with the best plan.
“The plan starts one way, then once you start getting the players and start putting those players in, then that plan can morph. We’re going to make sure whoever our guys are that we’re getting – that we’re putting them in the best position to be successful.
“The more we get to know them, then the more it starts to move around.”
The playbook starts with the terminology and depending on which coaching philosophy your background is in, that can vary tremendously. Bevell said that much of the coaches’ energy so far has been spent attempting to codify and standardize the language of the team.
“It’s important for all of us to be speaking the same language,” Bevell said. “It’s powerful when your whole staff is aligned and has the ability to speak it the same way. We start on Page One, go through the cadence, the huddle and then we get into, ‘What do we call this when we line up in this formation?’ ‘What’s the best way to communicate?’ ‘Is that the simplest?’
“Everybody comes from a little different area. At some point, we have to pick a language for the Jaguars. That’s what we’ve been sitting in there doing.”
Bevell was asked what the team’s offense would look like in 2021, but he hesitated to give a straightforward answer, saying that it will depend on the personnel on Day 1. The Jags are expected to draft a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, and he will likely start opening week. Jacksonville may not know exactly how best to use him until he joins the team, so its best-laid plans could still change.
“The hard thing is, ‘Tell me who I have; tell me who’s out there on Day 1,”’ Bevell said. “Then I can give you a better answer on what it will look like. There are fundamental beliefs I believe in and Coach Meyer believes in. No. 1 is running the football. You want to be able to run the ball when you want to run it. Then when we get in the pass game, I want to be explosive. You want big plays. You want opportunities to get big plays and flip the field.”
It seems the Jags don’t want to overplay their hand now, but based on these comments from Bevell, it seems the coaching staff is comfortable with the progress it’s made over the last several months.
