Trevor Lawrence’s start in the NFL has been very complicated, but it is clear that the raw material is there. The problem is that there is not much around.
When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft, things were known to be tough for the young QB, but they have turned out even worse than many of us might have expected. Needless to say, one of the main people responsible for this is Urban Meyer, who is supposed to be in charge of shaping this team.
How did Trevor Lawrence play against the Bengals?
Lawrence had a very solid game against Cincinnati, completing 17 of 24 passes for 204 yards. On top of that he was a rushing threat, adding 36 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries. This production accompanied very well what was done by James Robinson, who accumulated 78 yards and 2 touchdowns in 18 carries. And there were times where Trevor Lawrence just looked exceptional.
now THIS looks like that Trevor Lawrence guy from Clemson
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/BXN664xZ0m
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 1, 2021
According to ESPN Stats and Info, Lawrence was running a speed of 14 miles per hour on that pitch, the highest for a QB in the past five years. That’s a sign of Lawrence’s athletic-physical talent.
Another great example of this player’s potential came in this pass he completed in the third quarter:
TREVOR LAWRENCE DIME ????
JAMAL AGNEW TOE DRAG SWAG
pic.twitter.com/LgjfEnASXT— PFF (@PFF) October 1, 2021
These are the kind of passes a high-profile QB throws. So tonight it was easy to see that, for the moment, Trevor Lawrence is the bright spot in a franchise steeped in darkness.
Defense, game management and Urban Meyer
The game got to be 14-0 in favor of the Jaguars and things were looking very in their favor. So logically one wonders: how did they lose this game? The answer has a couple of points:
a) The defense was falling. The Jaguars started well, but they lost pace as the game progressed. It’s true, they kept the game tied or ahead throughout the game, but they let it go at the last minute. And there are moments where the terrible work of that unit is notorious:
Summary of the Jaguars defense in the 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/Ynahrw7jhH
— PFF (@PFF) October 1, 2021
Or in this play, where CJ Uzomah cut the difference in the score in half:
GO C.J. THAT’S MY C.J.
Watch on NFL Network pic.twitter.com/AGlE6KhxCh
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 1, 2021
In the second half, Burrow completed 17 of 20 passes for 253 yards with two touchdown passes. On the last drive he went 5 of 5 for 68 yards. When you defend like this, it is simply impossible to win the game, which, logically, brings us to the other situation:
b) Urban Meyer looks like the real newbie. Trevor Lawrence is a “natural” rookie, but Meyer’s level of inexperience in handling football at the NFL level is staggering. This team showed no adjustments, they dropped out of the running game and just imploded despite the good work of Lawrence and Robinson. This falls on the shoulders of the head coach, who again failed his team. We’ll have to talk further about Meyer, but for now it’s clear that the biggest obstacle in Trevor Lawrence’s development is Urban Meyer.
How patient should the Jaguars have with Urban Meyer? Can Trevor Lawrence improve with another head coach? We wait for your comments.
