The Jacksonville Jaguars managed to dispose of the Carolina Panthers in the season opener despite the fact that Trevor Lawrence was unremarkable. Of course, it was only one game, so the expectation was that he was going to look much better against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, that hasn't been the case.
The Jaguars seemingly had an edge over Cincy despite the fact that the game was at Paycor Stadium. The backfield tandem of Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten has made some nice runs, and the defense has also done its part, registering three sacks and two interceptions by Andrew Wingard and Eric Murray.
However, penalties and Lawrence's ineffectiveness have held the Jags back. To make matters worse, Joe Burrow left the game with a toe injury, and Jacksonville still hasn't been able to put the Bengals away.
Joe Burrow was listed as questionable to return the Jaguars vs. Bengals game
At the midpoint of the second quarter, Joe Burrow left the game with a toe injury. Since the Bengals don't have a cart to help players get off the field, he had to be assisted. He was questionable to return, but it's highly unlikely that he'll return, especially when you take into account that backup quarterback Jake Browning led a touchdown drive to tie the game 17-17.
Heck, you could even make the case that Cincinnati isn't missing a beat despite the fact that Burrow is out.
You'd think that not having to face Joe Burrow for most of the game would give the Jaguars a massive edge, but that's not the case, and that's mostly because Trevor Lawrence has missed several throws. Following Jacksonville's first drive in the third quarter, No. 16 was 14-of-24 for 191 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
That stat line isn't necessarily bad, but it could look much better if Lawrence were a bit more accurate, which has been a concern even before the opener. And that's the thing, even before Burrow left, Jacksonville was seemingly the better team, but the Bengals have managed to stay around because the Jags cannot run up the scoreboard.
Of course, Lawrence isn't actively costing the Jags the game but most definitely has left a bit to be desired.
Even if the Jaguars come out on top and start 2-0 for the first time since 2018, Lawrence isn't doing much to put to rest questions about his viability as the long-term answer behind center in Jacksonville.