Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, other rookie QBs struggle in Week 2

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost 23-13 to the Denver Broncos, and one big reason was the less-than-ideal play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. However, the former Clemson Tiger wasn’t the only rookie passer that struggle in Week 2 of the regular season.

After an encouraging NFL debut in Week 1, Lawrence struggled against the Broncos, completing14 of 33 passes for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Jaguars quarterback made a few highlight throws. But he also attempted some that he would surely have back. In particular, an ill-advised ball to Denver Broncos rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain II stood out.

Lawrence is one of many young NFL signal-callers who have been thrown into the fire in 2021. On the other hand, the Chicago Bears and San Fransisco 49ers have taken the opposite approach and had their rookie quarterbacks start the season on the bench.

Looking back, it looks like both the Bears and Niners made the right call, as numerous rookie passers struggled in Sunday’s action. Here’s a quick recap of how other first-year quarterbacks around the league fare in the second week of the 2021 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars young quarterback wasn’t an outlier in Week 2.

Zach Wilson, N.Y. Jets

Headlining the worst rookie quarterback performances of Week 2 is Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. The former BYU standout threw four interceptions in the Jets contest versus the New England Patriots. It would be somewhat understandable if these passes were under duress, but all are equally terrible decisions and throws. The Jets should be concerned with his development moving forward, as he displays red flags that he is not ready to be the starter in the Big Apple as of now.

Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

Justin Fields did not start the game for the Chicago Bears, nor did he start in the season opener. The 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft played in Week 2 after Andy Dalton suffering an injury in the second quarter. While Fields made some nice plays with his legs, he did not look exceptional throwing the football. The former Ohio State standout has potential, but he admitted that he did not perform well. Like Zach Wilson, the Bears rookie is not ready to be a difference-maker throwing the football just yet.

Davis Mills, Houston Texans

Last but not least is the Houston Texans rookie, Davis Mills. The former Cardinal was the Texans’ third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. Similar to Justin Fields, Davis entered the game in the second quarter after starter Tyrod Taylor left the contest after this score.  However, unlike the two rookies listed above, the Stanford alum did manage to throw a touchdown versus the Cleveland Browns.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1439672538095779841

Subsequently, he also threw an interception in his contest as well. So ultimately, he is the quarterback of this group who is in the worst scenario moving forward.