Jacksonville Jaguars quickly falling behind in Trevor Lawrence’s NFL debut

Heading into Week 1, it wasn’t certain which Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars fans were going to watch. Would they see the quarterback that threw two touchdowns and was almost flawless against the Dallas Cowboys in the preseason finale? Or would they get the one that held the ball too long and failed two scores in the two preseason games? They now have an answer.

The Texans went three-and-out in their first drive but the Jaguars weren’t much better. They were first flagged for illegal formation. Head coach Urban Meyer then had to call a time out and Trevor Lawrence’s first pass was incomplete. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. caught a pass in third and 15 but fell short of the first down marker. Simply, the Jags looked overwhelmed and the offense looked disjointed and disorganized.

Things got a bit interesting in the Texans’ second drive. For a moment, it looked like the Jags were going to be able to stop them. But quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks that got them near the end zone. After a few tries, running back Mark Ingram got into the end zone on a one-yard run, giving Houston a seven-point lead.

Down 7-0, the Jaguars weren’t fazed and Lawrence found Marvin Jones Jr. for a 33-yard throw. However, they didn’t do much afterward, as both DJ Chark Jr. and James O’Shaughnessy dropped passes. Kicker Josh Lambo ended up attempting a 55-yard field goal but missed it.
The Texans weren’t done and scored once again in their third series. This time, Taylor found running back David Johnson on a 7-yard pass.

The Jacksonville Jaguars managed to score in the first half.

Things weren’t looking good for the Jaguars at the end of the first quarter. But on their third drive of the series, Trevor Lawrence showed what he can do when he gets help from the offense. He capped an 11-play drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Manhertz. Here’s a look a Lawrence’s first NFL touchdown, which was Manhertz’s second career touchdown and his first with the Black and Teal.

Houston quickly answered back with a field goal, giving them a 17-7 lead. And on the following drive, Lawrence made a bad throw that ended in the hands of Texans safety Justin Reid. Jacksonville got the ball back but once again, the rookie quarterback threw an interception. The Texans then kicked a field goal, but they didn’t stop there. They quickly got the ball back before the end of the first half and Taylor led a 4-play, 69-yard drive that ended on an 8-yard pass to wide receiver Danny Amendola. Houston is taking a 27-7 lead into halftime.

Lawrence played relatively well in the first quarter but his two interceptions hurt the Jags’ chances of keeping up with the Texans. Then again, drops and holding penalties haven’t done him any favors.

The defense doesn’t have an answer for Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor. If the  Jacksonville Jaguars have a steep hill to climb if they want to win the game but if they can play disciplined football the rest of the game, they will get their first ‘W’ of the year. However, things are looking bleak at halftime.