3 postive stats from the Jaguars Week 1 loss to the Commanders

2. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence averaged 6.9 yards per attempt

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Trevor Lawrence’s rookie season was a disaster, and there were several reasons why. For starters, he was getting acclimated to the NFL but the two biggest ones were his lack of weapons and Urban Meyer’s inability to coach (and lead) the Jags. This led to a pretty underwhelming statline in 2021: 6.0 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

That’s not the kind of production you want from the quarterback position, so the Jags addressed the two main issues that hindered Lawrence’s development last year. They hired quarterback-friendly head coach Doug Pederson and also bolstered his supporting cast.

So how did Lawrence fare in the first game of his second NFL season? It wasn’t a top-notch performance but there were many things to like, especially when you take into account that he was pressured on almost half of his 42 dropbacks. While the young passer needs to work on his timing, he also showed a willingness to push the ball downfield, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt.

While that’s not a number to brag about, that’s nearly one yard more than his 6.0-yard average in 2021, which ranked 31st in the league. You could make the case that his 49-yard pass to wide receiver Christian Kirk skews the final number but you can’t just outright omit it.

On the other hand, Lawrence’s completion percentage is still below 60 percent. Again, he needs to clean up a few things but the offensive line also needs to give him better protection up front. For the time being, it’s reassuring to see him make strides.