Trevor Lawrence praises fellow rookie QB Mac Jones

The Jacksonville Jaguars will face off against the New England Patriots in Week 17 of the 2021 season and heading into the game, Trevor Lawrence praised fellow rookie quarterback Mac Jones.

The former Clemson Tiger told the local media he hasn’t spoken to Jones in a long time but still has followed his journey and believes he’s played well this season.

"He’s been really efficient offensively. Usually, what they do, they run the ball really well. He’s been very accurate, great decision-maker taking care of the ball and put them in a bunch of situations to win a lot of games. So I think that’s a big part obviously of their success, the quarterback has to play well."

Jones has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,313 yards with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Alabama product is a favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and he is one of the reasons the Patriots are currently 9-6 after finishing 7-9 last season. Here’s Lawrence’s whole exchange with the media.

Mac Jones shows Trevor Lawrence can succeed with a better supporting cast.

Trevor Lawrence has been far from great in 2021, completing 58.7 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns and 14 interceptions. But you could pin that in the circumstances he’s in. He joined a team that was coming off a 1-15 season and is several moves away from competing on a weekly basis. The Jags had the first overall pick because they weren’t a good football team last year (and most of the previous nine). Urban Meyer was supposed to turn right the ship but he was let go due to several missteps and the Jaguars are in the same spot they were in 2020.

Meanwhile, Jones landed in one of the better run franchises in the NFL, the Patriots. You might not like them or head coach Bill Belichick, but it’s hard to have the same kind of sustained success they have had for the last twenty years. Belichick knew they couldn’t put too much on Jones’ plate, so the Patriots spent heavily in free agency to ensure their rookie quarterback was in a position to succeed right out of the gate.

Lawrence could have easily had the same kind of success had he been drafted by the Pats or any other team that surrounded their quarterback with a dependable surrounding cast and a competent coaching staff. On the bright side, there’s a reason for optimism. If the Jaguars hire the right coach and build around him, he could make a leap in year two like the one Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, the first overall pick in 2020, had this season.  In just one year, he’s improved his completion percentage, his touchdown percentage, and his yard-per-attempt.

Burrow had the same coach in his first two years but the point stands. The Bengals, just like the Patriots, made sure their respective quarterbacks had a good supporting cast. If the Jaguars do something similar for Lawrence next offseason, it won’t be shocking to see him improve considerably in his sophomore year in the league.