Of all the positions in football, quarterbacks have the biggest impact on the outcome of a game. That’s why they’re the highest-paid players in the NFL. On the other hand, they often get more credit than they deserve and more blame than they should when their team loses. Trevor Lawrence is no different and he’s getting more blame than he deserves after the Jaguars’ 23-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10.
Lawrence was far from perfect against Indy, going 11-of-21. Also, he had the chance to lead a scoring drive in the last play of the game but he fumbled the ball. Even though the defense did a good job of stopping the Colts’ offense, the Jags struggled to move the ball, going 5-of-15 on third downs and going three-and-out on several occasions.
The former Clemson Tiger certainly needs to improve. He said so himself after the game but as talented as he is, he just made his ninth start in the NFL. Also, he needs more help from his teammates. Having said that, he isn’t the sole reason why the Jaguars’ offense went stagnant. Penalties and drops also played a role in the team’s inability to score points. Head coach Urban Meyer acknowledged as much when he met with the local media after the game.
"When a quarterback plays great, everyone else runs and plays great. When a quarterback really struggles you can find it everywhere. Three holding penalties, a position at three or four penalties… that’s not the quarterback, but it’s cumulative."
Penalties were indeed costly for the Jaguars in Week 10. They were flagged eight times for 79 yards. Meyer later said he’s concerned about Lawrence’s psyche, as he’s got a lot on his shoulders. He added he talked to the rookie quarterback and notes that the whole team has his back.
"I grabbed him and I think our whole team does [worry]… I think he’s second or third most votes I told you about captain they love him. You name a guy that works harder, and we pick each other up, so it’s kind of neat to see what happened in there afterwards."
The Jaguars head coach told the media everyone, including himself, needs to do better and help their quarterback. Tight end Dan Arnold echoed Meyer’s comments when he spoke to the media, “the biggest thing is that we got a bunch of guys around him that are going to support him no matter what and that’s really all there is to it”.
This is a young team and expecting Lawrence to consistently play at a high level is unrealistic at this stage of his NFL career. The organization knows that and can’t do anything but support him and make sure he keeps developing.
Trevor Lawrence isn’t pointing any fingers after the Jaguars’ loss.
Trevor Lawrence has experienced a learning curve in the last four games, completing 54.3 percent of his passes for 837 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. That’s not the kind of production you want from your starting quarterback, but the top overall pick in the 2021 draft isn’t making any excuses.
"I’m pretty hard on myself and when you have the chance to win the game and fumble on the last drive, especially when you have a great drive going and we had all the belief on the sideline that that just that just stings."
On the other hand, Lawrence points out it’s a night and day difference of where they’re at. He adds both his teammates and the coaching staff believe the team is on the right track.
Sure, nobody takes pleasure in losing but Lawrence, just like Meyer and everyone in the organization, know this is a process and change doesn’t happen overnight. As Dan Arnold said, the rookie passer has a lot of football ahead of him, and he needs to move on. This doesn’t mean Lawrence has to stop caring or don’t let losing affect him. That’s a big ask and not something anyone can actually do.
Instead, Arnold is talking about not letting this kind of losses define him. And he believes Lawrence has the mental fortitude to do precisely that, “I have all the faith in him that he’s going to be a tremendous player, not only for the rest of this year but also for 10-15 years. And he knows that too”.
The Jaguars drafted Lawrence because they believe he can be their quarterback of the future. It’s unlikely they’ve changed their mind after just nine football games.
The Jaguars’ defense did its part against the Colts, still can do better.
Although the Colts scored 23 points in Week 10, the Jaguars defense only gave up one touchdown. The other was was the result of a blocked punt by their special teams unit. More often than not, they pressured quarterback Carson Wentz and kept Indy’s offense in check. Although the Jags’ had a hard time containing running back Jonathan Taylor early in the game, they managed to slow him down in the second half.
For the second consecutive week, Jacksonville’s defense played at a high level and Indianapolis finished the game with just 295 yards and a third-down efficiency of 26.6 percent.
In spite of the stops the Jaguars’ defense forced and all the times it gave the ball back to the offense, they aren’t pointing any fingers. Instead, they’re focused on the things they need to work on. For example, cornerback Shaquill Griffin almost came with an interception early in the game but couldn’t hold onto it.
The 2019 Pro Bowl nod talked to the media after the game and said the outcome of the game would have changed had he come down with the interception.
"I’m very, very, very hard, especially on myself. You talked about a play [the interception he dropped], and I could have got my hands on it and went for six. I get that ball in my hands and I score, it’s a different game. So I got to do better. Put that on me."
Griffin later said he will push himself harder and added that he’s pleased with the progress the defense has made since the season opener. Moreover, he remains confident the Jaguars will eventually turn things around, “and the thing is, the reason why I’m so excited to get this thing turned around is because we can only go up”.
The veteran cornerback will have another chance to record his first interception of the season in Week 11, when the Jaguars hosts the San Francisco 49ers. For the time being, it’s fair to say Griffin has become the glue that holds the team together. Looking back, there’s a reason his teammates named him team captain before the start of the season. If the Jaguars right the ship, he will have played a big role.