Recent Rankings Spell Out Dire QB Situation For Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones was ranked the No. 32 starting quarterback in a recent ranking of signal-callers.

Nov 17, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) rolls out of the pocket against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars' offense has hit rock bottom without Trevor Lawrence under center.

In the two games without Lawrence at quarterback, the Jaguars offense has put together just three scoring drives out of 19 total possessions, while rankings among the two worst offenses in the NFL in both EPA/Play and success rate in that span.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones has been thrown to the wolves behind an injured offensive line and receiving core, and the former first-round pick has certainly struggled. Jones has led the Jaguars to just 13 points while averaging 124.5 passing yards per game, along with three interceptions and one fumble with no passing touchdowns.

In short, the Jaguars' quarterback position has struggled in a big way since Lawrence's left shoulder injury. What was a merely OK offense that had the flair for explosive plays has been reduced to an anemic unit that has to pull off a minor miracle to even get into field goal range.

As such, it is hardly a surprise to see the Lawrence-less quarterback room catch some heat during the Jaguars' Week 12 bye.

In a ranking of each current starting quarterback, NFL.com's Nick Shook has Jones all the way down at No. 32, spelling out the Jaguars issues without Lawrence.

"Week 11 wasn't as ugly as Week 10 was for Jones, but that was an incredibly low bar to clear," Shook said. "Jones at least looked like he was prepared to handle starting duties against the Lions, but the mismatch between the teams became painfully obvious by the middle of the second quarter, specifically when Jones dropped to pass and launched two throws downfield well beyond any feasible target.

"He managed to settle into something of a rhythm late in the first half, connecting a few times underneath, but by that point the Jaguars were trailing by 25 and forced into a one-dimensional approach. Jones moved them into field goal range for a second time before it became clear he never had a chance of getting the Jaguars back into the game, missing an open Gabe Davis downfield early in the third quarter. That play represented the entire day for the Jaguars, who never really had a chance to keep up."

The question now is what the Jaguars' quarterback situation will look like after the bye week. Head coach Doug Pederson has previously expressed optimism at Lawrence returning in Week 13. but there appears to be no clear timeline on how long Jones will remain the Jaguars' starting quarterback.

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