A more hands-on approach needed from Jaguars coach Urban Meyer. Here's 5 things he can do.

Urban Meyer is starting to act more like a politician than a football coach.

He's not giving straight answers on some of the questions about his struggling Jaguars football team, willing to defer instead.

Coach, Carlos Hyde had a fumble late in the game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, and he was back on the field on the next drive. James Robinson fumbled and was on the sideline for 20 plays -- if it wasn't a bench, was it all about health with Robinson?

''You'd have to ask (Running Backs Coach Bernie Parmalee) Coach Parmalee,'' Meyer said after Sunday's 37-7 thrashing from the Rams at SoFi Stadium. ''I don't get too involved. I don't micromanage that. I know he's been dinged up, so I don't know if he's back (in) the tent or what's going on, but I know there's injury involved.''

A week ago, when Robinson was held out for 16 plays after a fumble against the Atlanta Falcons at TIAA Bank Field, Meyer admitted that he didn't get clarity on why he wasn't on the field until a day after the game.

''I just asked that question like five minutes ago to get clarity if I get asked,'' Meyer said last Monday. ''[It’s because of the] rotation and then he’s still not 100 percent. You can see that on perimeter runs and we felt that Carlos [Hyde] had little more juice in his legs.”

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A more hands-on approach is needed

If Meyer is going to be successful in Jacksonville, taking a more hands-on approach must happen. He has to be more assertive on all coaching decisions. Too often this season, it appears Meyer is leaving all the critical decisions to his assistants and coordinators.

Most NFL coaches don't respond to why a key player wasn't in the game for 20 plays by directing them to the running backs coach, who is not available to speak to the media after games. It shows an appearance of a dysfunctional mess with Meyer not desiring to have the final say in some of the critical personnel matters during games. With their 10th losing season clinched in 11 years, it wouldn't hurt if he micromanaged at this point.

Create a greater sense of urgency

Meyer has to do a better job creating urgency among his players. He can't rely on them doing it just for the love of the game. When a player drops a pass, loses a fumble, jumps offsides, he needs to let them know about it.

And letting them know about it doesn't necessarily mean having an expletive tirade. It means showing emotion when that player comes off the field, raising his arms in disgust, or tossing the headsets to the ground — a visual can get the point across that repeated mistakes cannot happen. Meyer often looks too easy-going on the sideline when his team is trailing by a two-touchdown deficit or more. This team gives an appearance of lacking urgency.

Too often the response from Meyer is familiar like Monday's: ''I thought our defense in the first half was outstanding. Keeping guys, a really talented group, in front of us. It was 10-7 and then it’s 13-7 and then the really critical moments to me were when we got the ball at the 40[-yard line], got the ball at the 50-yard line and we’re going to get the ball

in the second half.''

Memo to head coach: There are no positives when you lose by 30 points.

As Meyer said last week, he will never call out individual players about their mistakes, at least not publicly.

''Yeah, there’s things that need to be cleaned up, but I don’t want this to be about it’s him or him,'' he said. ''I’ve never done that, that’ll never happen here. It’s us, staff and players.”

Winning is all that matters in the NFL

Meyer came in with the idea that he was going to give the players the best of everything, from improved training and rehabilitation facilities to listening to their input from his created player leadership committee. It's good for any coach to establish a great relationship with their players, but it's still all about winning and losing.

The NFL players are grown men, professionals. Coaches who have won Super Bowls criticize players if they are not producing. At 2-10, the Jaguars players are certainly not above harsh critiques and more need to come from Meyer. NFL coaches can't always be a player's best friend.

Concentrate more on fixing the offense

Meyer should be implementing whatever offensive knowledge he has to help the situation with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, who is clearly struggling as a play caller. Against the Rams, the Jaguars failed to reach at least 200 yards total offense for the second time this season. They ended up with 197, their lowest production since a 187-yard effort in Week 2 against Denver. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn't throw a touchdown pass Sunday, marking the fourth time in five games that's happened.

At this point with five games, it's all about going into the offense with some semblance of confidence. So why not gamble and take more chances with Lawrence taking downfield shots, lining up wide receiver Laviska Shenault for about 12 carries, putting in more jet sweeps, flea flickers and double reverses?

A coach like Meyer, who has won everywhere he's been until this season, hasn't been this successful without having a knack for creative play-calling. But the time is now to start inputting it because it looks like after each game over the past month, Lawrence's confidence is slipping away. He's not going through all his reads before hurriedly getting the ball out because of the immense pass-rush pressure.

Take charge in offseason

Meyer must be assertive with general manager Trent Baalke to get better players on the roster. If he wants to build the team's offensive identity around speed, then get it done without excuses. They have to hit on all their draft picks and bring in more veteran talent on the offensive side in free agency.

The offensive line is in need of a makeover, so change must happen to improve the unit. If the Jaguars are going to take the next step, Meyer will likely have to make staff changes, especially offensively. After 12 games, the Jaguars are averaging 15.0 points that ranks only ahead of Houston's 13.7 scoring average.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 5 ways Urban Meyer needs to improve Jacksonville Jaguars