Remember the “Tank for Trevor’’ days?
How’s that looking at the moment?
Trevor Lawrence, the prized and coveted No. 1-overall pick in the 2021 draft, was deemed a generational talent with teams jockeying for position to select him. Yet, he has been rather ordinary in his three-plus seasons in the league.
The Jaguars are 0-3 as they enter Sunday’s game at Houston. They are positively reeling after Monday night’s 47-10 loss to the Bills, and Lawrence has been less than ordinary.
Through three games, Lawrence has completed 52.8 percent of his passes for 560 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a 75.1 rating.
Lawrence’s completion percentage ranks 31st in the league — just behind Bryce Young, whom the Panthers benched, and just ahead of Anthony Richardson of the Colts.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has endured an intense wrath of criticism from media and frustrated Giants fans for a couple of years now, yet he has played no worse than Lawrence has in his career.
Can you imagine the scorn to which Lawrence would be subject if he played in the New York market instead of small-market Jacksonville?
Consider Lawrence’s career statistics to date: a 20-33 won-loss record, 64.2 percent completion rate, 60 touchdowns, 40 interceptions and an 84.5 quarterback rating.
Now look at Jones’ career numbers: a 23-39-1 record, 64.2 percent completion percentage, 66 TDs, 43 INTs and an 84.9 rating.
Yet if you asked the average NFL fans on the street which quarterback they would prefer, they undoubtedly would choose Lawrence — likely based on where he was chosen in the draft.
Giants fans have been outraged over the contract the team gave to Jones, which averages $40 million per year (which they can extricate themselves from after this season). Imagine the consternation amongst the Jaguars supporters at the moment over the five-year, $275 million contract extension they gave Lawrence in June, with $200 million guaranteed and an average of $55 million per year.
The Jags are in disarray, and their quarterback is at the center of the problem. Dating back to last season, the Jaguars have lost eight of their past nine games, and Lawrence has lost eight starts in a row. The second-half collapse last season left the Jags 9-8 and cost them a playoff berth.
And still, the franchise gave Lawrence that extension.
The 24-year-old quarterback figured to make a big step forward after 2022 when he threw for 4,113 yards with 25 TDs and eight INTs, led the Jaguars to the playoffs and was named to the Pro Bowl. But his production slipped in 2023 with 21 TDs and 14 INTs.
Now, things have gotten worse.
Head coach Doug Pederson insisted this week he still believes in Lawrence and suggested that he’s “pressing.’’
“There’s times when you kind of get locked in there, you want to make something happen so bad that you kind of force an issue,” Pederson told reporters.
“I have lot of confidence in myself and what I can do,” Lawrence told reporters after the loss to Buffalo. “Disappointed in how I’ve been playing.’’
On the other side of the field Sunday, the Jaguars will be facing Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2023 and has already become one of the best players in the league.
Pederson was so exasperated after the blowout loss to the Bills he told reporters “everything’s on the table’’ in terms of possible changes — and that included at quarterback.
“There has to be changes, whether it’s play design, personnel, everything,’’ he said.
If Lawrence’s play doesn’t improve, perhaps it will be the Jaguars tanking for the next supposed generational talent coming out of college.
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