JACKSONVILLE – Urban Meyer addressed the question quickly and succinctly.

Meyer, the Jaguars' head coach, spoke to the media late Wednesday morning as the team prepared for its regular-season home opener. The first topic:

Rumors about Meyer and the vacant head-coaching position at the University of Southern California.

"There's no chance," Meyer said as the Jaguars (0-1) prepared to play the Denver Broncos (1-0) in a Week 2 2021 game at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville Sunday at 1 p.m.

"I'm here and committed to try to build an organization."

Meyer spoke Sunday three days after a 37-21 loss to the Houston Texans in the 2021 regular-season opener, a game in which the Jaguars had multiple dropped passes in the first half, 10 penalties – including seven in the first half – and three interceptions thrown by rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Meyer on Wednesday discussed responding to such a loss in his first game as an NFL head coach, emphasizing the team's "quality of player and the quality of people."

"The locker room is the most important thing and I see good players, and I see good people," Meyer said. "It's a build and we're building. I'm very transparent with our players. I have a lot of respect for these guys. I have not wavered on that.

"We all have to do better, getting them ready to go and playing better.

Meyer said he has met and plans to continue to meet with team leaders this week.

"We have good quality leaders," said Meyer, who won three national titles in a 17-year career as one of the most successful college coaches of all-time before taking the Jaguars' position – his first in the NFL – in January. "I was warned many, many, many, many times it's a journey; it's not a sprint.

"We're healthy. Our attitudes are good. We have good players and we're building something. We have to get rid of the damned penalties and we have to not turn the ball over. It's going to be that way for 100 years from now."

The Jaguars went 1-15 last season, but Meyer on Wednesday reiterated what he often has said since taking the job – that his approach in Jacksonville is a "one-game plan and then we'll worry about the next game."

Meyer said his approach with the Jaguars definitely is not a three- or four-year plan.

"That's not fair to players," Meyer said. "There are some guys who have played a lot of football in that locker room and they deserve our very best. That's what it is. Other than a bruised soul that we all have right now, we're still swinging away.

"You probably would see a little different look on my face if I had bad guys. That's not the case at all."

NOTABLE

Meyer said the No. 1 task for the offensive line entering Sunday is eliminating penalties. The unit was called for holding three times in the first half Sunday. Though Meyer emphasized that he didn't agree with all of the calls, he added "No one asked my opinion of them, so it's a penalty. We ran the ball decent. We just behind the chains [because of the penalties]. Next thing you know, you're down by a couple of scores. You get that panic feeling. That's not what you should do with a young quarterback."

QUOTABLE I

Meyer on his critics: "I learned about six years ago when I read something that was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard: 'I'm done. I'll never read again.' I don't read the narrative and I don't read the silliness about our players."

QUOTABLE II

Meyer on the Broncos' defense, which enters Sunday eighth in the NFL – fourth against the run: "They're really well-coached. First of all, fundamentals. I don't know coach very well, but I know people who have worked with him. You can see hand placement and physicalness at the line of scrimmage –coverages they do. It's called a push coverage and they have a lot of variations off of it. It's just a really well-coached defense."