The Jaguars' Problem is Not What You Think It Is

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL to this point in 2024. It is misguided to blame quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was pressured by the Bills defense breaking through the Jaguars offense line during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Sept. 23, 2024. Closing in on Lawrence are Bills DaQuan Jones and Greg Rousseau. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The quarterback position is the most important in football. Thus, it receives the most blame when things aren't going right.

But it would be misguided to blame the Jacksonville Jaguars' woes on franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He is a generational talent, touted since high school as best thing since John Elway and Andrew Luck. He survived the atrocious Urban Meyer reign.

Lawrence is a playoff quarterback who has a playoff win under his belt. Not many NFL quarterbacks that are active right now can claim that fact. Yet, why is the media at-large blaming the fourth-year signal caller for the Jaguars' inept play?

ESPN writer Michael DiRocco misunderstands this in his article that perpetuates the notion of Lawrence's perceived failure.

"The discourse surrounding whether Lawrence has lived up to the hype is growing following two underwhelming performances to start the season," DiRocco wrote. "Lawrence was tagged with a 'generational prospect' label by draft analysts coming out of Clemson in 2021, but he has struggled with inconsistent play and turnovers in his first three NFL seasons. He's played well enough to earn a $275 million contract extension that made him one of the top-paid QBs in the league this summer, but he hasn't lived up to top-QB status on the field."

DiRocco heaps the on "inconsistency" and "ball security", two points of criticism most commonly associated with Lawrence's game. But the real inconsistency has been everything around Lawrence.

His targets have changed throughout his tenure. His offensive line has been abysmal from the beginning. And coaching?

Meyer could have set Lawrence back as a detrimental influence. Coaching stability and leadership is everything when it comes to shaping a young quarterback. Meyer provided none of it. That Lawrence played well and was not stunted is a miracle in itself. And a testament to Lawrence.

The issues this season are beyond Lawrence. Head coach Doug Pederson's offense is somehow worse in Year 3 than it was in his first campaign. The offensive line is still very poor. The weapons around Lawrence are better and owner Shad Khan called this the best team in franchise history.

Yet, the Jaguars are 0-3 on the verge of potentially dropping to 0-4. And the frustrations persist.

Make no mistake. It is not the $275 million quarterback's fault.

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