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Trevor Lawrence's struggles explained: Jacksonville Jaguars QB wouldn't call it 'pressing'
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- Trevor Lawrence's struggles explained: Jacksonville Jaguars QB wouldn't call it 'pressing'
Trevor Lawrence hasn't played well this year for the Jacksonville Jaguars .
Through three weeks of the season, Lawrence has completed just 52.8% of his passes for 560 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
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His completion percentage ranks 31st in the league just behind Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young (55.4%) and just ahead of Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson (49.3%). The highest in the league, for reference, is Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (80.3%).
Jacksonville Jaguars ' Doug Pederson: Confidence remains 'high' despite disappointing start
The question is: Why is this happening?
ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky 's opinion is that the former first-overall pick is "pressing," looking to make a big play when it's not there rather than settling in on more routine plays.
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"It feels like every rep, Trevor's trying to prove [he's] worthy of that No. 1 pick, worthy of the contract," Orlovsky said on ESPN's NFL Live Wednesday when asked what is going wrong with Lawrence in Jacksonville. "It's the, striving for perfection instead of striving for any form of progress."
Orlovsky highlighted three plays from the team's 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football , including the team's first play of the game when Lawrence threw a fastball to running back Travis Etienne for a one-yard gain.
The other two plays were Lawrence's pass intended for Brian Thomas Jr. down the field, intercepted by Bills safety Damar Hamlin, and a sack Lawrence took later in the game which Orlovsky described as Lawrence "feeling things that aren't there."
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So, is Lawrence pressing?
Doug Pederson still believes in Trevor Lawrence , sees leadership growth
Nov 13, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) talks with head coach Doug Pederson against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has almost always offered an honest evaluation of his starting quarterback.
When asked whether Lawrence is pressing, he noted that sometimes you can force an issue that doesn't need to be.
"There's times when you kind of get locked in there, you want to make something happen so bad that you kind of force an issue," Pederson said Wednesday morning when asked if Lawrence was pressing, trying to make the big play instead of going for the play that's there.
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"Even as sideways as the game got Monday night, I think sometimes you've just got to continue to — if it's not there put it in play, if it's not there put it in play, and try to work yourself back into the football game that way. You're not going to get it all back in one play. Sometimes you can get caught up doing that."
Lawrence completed 21 of 38 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the Bills.
He didn't ever seem to get comfortable from the onset of the game. His throws appeared forced at times and he wasn't making quick decisions.
Still, Pederson is confident in his quarterback. He believes that the signal-caller is taking ownership of his issues, and continuing to grow as a leader.
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"He's not pointing a finger or if anything he's pointing it at himself, and that's where it has to start. Then you work from there, and he's really embraced that," said Pederson. "I keep just encouraging him to take the lead with the team."
Trevor Lawrence opens up about pass-game issues
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls a play during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Lawrence wasn't as sure to accept the phrase "pressing" to describe some of the issues he's experienced through the first three weeks of the season.
"No, I actually don't think so," he said. "I think there's been times where I've been a little undisciplined with my eyes. I've maybe been a little sped up in some of my progressions. So maybe a little bit of that for sure. I think a few times my feet have gotten sloppy, have caused some of my passes to not go exactly where I wanted them to."
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Lawrence is playing a bit sped up at times, which happens in the NFL, but it has hurt Jacksonville at times this season.
For example, against the Cleveland Browns , Lawrence wasn't patient enough and missed receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a walk-in touchdown from seven yards out.
Sometimes, Lawrence said, the defense simply has a better call than the offense. The NFL is often a game of chess, and there's always a winner. But, Lawrence doesn't think there's an issue with him trying to force anything.
"I think that there's been a couple throws I've missed throughout the year. There's been a couple times where progression-wise, I've got a little too far ahead of myself or thought I saw something I didn't see, and I think those are [the] majority of the mistakes," Lawrence said candidly.
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But, just because Lawrence has made some mistakes doesn't mean he's going to completely change the way he plays, he intimated. He will have to keep trusting himself to be successful.
"But just got to keep trusting it. I think that's the main thing is keep trusting it. Trust what I see, trust my progression and just get the ball to our playmakers. They're going to make plays. So, we've got to continue doing that and staying on schedule," he said.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence explains why he has struggled
