Titans gain competitive advantage from Urban Meyer’s off-field drama
By Kristen Wong
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer is slowly but surely becoming unhinged, and the Tennessee Titans could benefit from the drama in Week 5.
By now, most have seen the news has been circulating of Meyer’s unprofessional behavior following Jacksonville’s fourth loss of the season. Two viral videos showed Meyer with a woman at his restaurant in Ohio, that isn’t his wife, prompting his public apology to Jacksonville’s fans, the organization, and his family.
In the wake of the chaos Meyer has created, Jacksonville couldn’t help but be distracted, and even though no one wants to gain a competitive advantage in this manner, that may be the case when the Titans enter Week 5.
This is a must-win game for Tennessee. Following that loss to the Jets, the Titans need to find their identity quickly, and that starts with playing good football and winning games. Hopefully, Julio Jones rejoins the mix. Hopefully, Derrick Henry gets a back massage and plays, and hopefully, this Titans team, as a whole, gets their season back on track.
The Titans are dead focused on one goal right now: beating Jacksonville. The Jags, unluckily for them, are experiencing a bit of… a PR moment.
Call it bad mojo, but we hope Urban Meyer has had a history of stirring the pot as he’s gained a reputation for various and frequent misdeeds and misguided thinking. Apparently, that’s now bled over into his NFL coaching career.
Tennessee Titans can profit from Urban Meyer controversy in Week 5
Meyer has been scrutinized from the moment he stepped foot into pro, beginning with the hiring of Chris Doyle. That led to OTA infractions which led to the current state of affairs. Wherever Meyer goes, he’s under fire for something, and in terms of Tennessee’s much-needed rebound, whether you like it or not, this gives them a competitive advantage.
Shalise Manza Young of Yahoo Sports put it best in her article on Urban Meyer’s recent antics:
"There is only one cardinal sin in the NFL, or so they say: being a distraction. The only one in Jacksonville right now is the head coach."
If the 0-4 Jaguars needed another hit to team morale, they got it. Urban Meyer is a distraction for the team at the worst possible time for Jacksonville but the best possible time for Tennessee.
As the Jaguars awkwardly try to move on from this blemish and get back to practice, they may be just as hungry as the Titans are for a win, but the damage has already been done. Meyer has impacted his team negatively. Come Week 5, the Titans are ready to give Urban Meyer and Jacksonville a beating that will make Meyer wish that another scandal was his biggest problem.