Here’s what Jaguars coach Urban Meyer said about the controversial flea-flicker call
Jacksonville had a big opportunity to earn a season-defining win on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but it came up short despite leading by nine points in the second half Byron Murphy Jr.
The major turning point in the game was when the Jaguars called a flea-flicker while leading 19-17, which resulted in a bombarded Trevor Lawrence short-arming a throw off his back foot, resulting in a pick-six.
After the game, Meyer said he signed off on the call and generally supports aggressive play-calling
“I always tell [offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell] to be aggressive,” he said. “As I’ve always told my coordinators all along the years, let me be the overruler. Be the aggressive guy. I heard it come over the headset and obviously, I didn’t stop it. Then I looked up and saw [D.J. Chark Jr.] behind the defense, we were behind them. It was a big one. And then I look up and the ball is picked.
“The decision I made a long time ago was to be aggressive. You’ve got to be smart, but be aggressive.”
The play gave the Cardinals the lead, and it proved to be the deciding factor, as Jacksonville didn’t score again after that. It was the sixth interception of the season for quarterback Lawrence, whose decision-making has left a bit to be desired through three games.
Bevell and Meyer are certainly not doing much to inhibit Lawrence’s aggressive tendencies, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But with that being said, the rookie does need to be more judicious in the shots he takes moving forward.
