Mac Jones' dreadful outing vs. Vikings shows how much Jaguars miss Trevor Lawrence

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Mac Jones earlier this year in case Trevor Lawrence had to miss time with an injury. In Week 10, they got the opportunity to see what Jones could do and were quickly reminded how much they need Lawrence behind center.

Jones got off to a strong start, going 5-6 for 50 yards on the first two drives. Heck, he put the Jags up 7-3 after sneaking the football into the end zone for a touchdown run. However, the Jacksonville native quickly cooled down and struggled the remainder of the game. As a matter of fact, he only managed to cross the 100-yard mark late in the fourth quarter.

Down 12-7 near the end of the game, the Jags still got a couple of chances to come out on top. Jones blew both of them. The first time, with 3:39 left on the clock, he targeted wide receiver Gabe Davis but was picked off. Surprisingly, Jacksonville recovered and the fourth-year quarterback got another opportunity.

This time, with 2:07 left, Jones got sacked. Following the two-minute warning, he took a deep and once again was picked off, effectively putting an end to Jacksonville's comeback attempt. The Alabama product finished 14-of-22 for 111 yards with no passing touchdowns and two interceptions.

A first-round pick in 2021, Jones made the Pro Bowl and led the New England Patriots as a rookie. However, he struggled the past two years and regressed so badly that he was benched several times.

Looking to start over at quarterback, the Pats sent Jones to the Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round pick. At the time of the trade, it looked like Jacksonville had gotten a steal. However, the decision doesn't look so great in retrospect, and if/when Lawrence is healthy, Jones will most likely return to the sidelines.

The Jaguars could be stuck with Mac Jones if Trevor Lawrence undergoes shoulder injury

Trevor Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury in the Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. A few days later, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that he was weighing his options, which led to speculation about the former Clemson Tiger getting a season-ending injury.

Rapoport was quick to shut down chatter about Lawrence potentially getting surgery. For his part, head coach Doug Pederson told the local media that it would be up to the medical staff to make a decision, however, Lawrence said that he was doing everything he could to suit up in Week 10.

Heading into the game, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that Lawrence is dealing with a shoulder sprain and could indeed sit out the remainder of the season. If that's the case, Jones will remain under center the next seven games.

That's not great news for Pederson, who's in desperate need of a win and trying to hold onto his job. On the other hand, Jones will have a chance to put the loss against the Vikings behind him and try to rebuild his stock in what's left of the season.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars' season is quickly going from bad to worse after Trevor Lawrence hurt his shoulder. Mac Jones had a chance to soften the hit his absence created but dropped the ball instead.

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