The Jacksonville Jaguars relayed some unlucky damage information on Friday once they dominated out beginning quarterback Trevor Lawrence for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Carolina Panthers.
It will likely be the primary recreation in Lawrence’s three-year profession that he’ll miss, and it comes after a sequence of accidents that lastly pressured him out of the lineup. The transfer can be going to place their probabilities at holding onto the AFC South in jeopardy.
Whereas it’s the shoulder damage that Lawrence suffered per week in the past in opposition to Tampa Bay that’s sidelining him this week, he has been coping with an ankle damage as properly and was in concussion protocol over the previous month.
C.J. Beathard will get the beginning in his absence.
It is problematic for Jacksonville for apparent causes as they don’t seem to be able to be with out its franchise quarterback. Nevertheless, even with Lawrence within the lineup, the Jaguars have slowly been fading from the playoff race over the previous two months and are simply 2-5 since their bye week. Their present four-game shedding streak has seen them flip what an insurmountable lead within the division right into a three-way tie with the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
Swiftly the Jaguars went from seeking to be a lock for a house playoff recreation and maybe a contender for the No. 1 seed, to maybe now not making the playoffs.
It’s a full 180 from what the Jaguars did a yr in the past once they overcame a horrible first half of the season to get sizzling within the second half, win the division, and advance to the divisional spherical of the AFC playoffs.
On one hand, it could be straightforward to suppose the Jaguars can be advantageous this week in opposition to a two-win Panthers crew even with out Lawrence. However nothing is given within the NFL, and a backup quarterback state of affairs may flip any recreation right into a coin toss. Given the Jaguars’ remaining schedule (Carolina and Tennessee) there isn’t a excuse for them to not be capable to safe two wins and maintain onto the division — particularly when one in every of Indianapolis and Houston is more likely to lose no less than one recreation given their head-to-head Week 18 assembly. If Jacksonville does lose the division, the 2023 season could be a large failure and disappointment given the expectations that surrounded the franchise coming into this season.
Final yr’s division title and playoff win, mixed with the addition of extensive receiver Calvin Ridley, made the Jaguars a straightforward decide to win the AFC South and doubtlessly contend for a Tremendous Bowl bid.
Even when Jacksonville can someway survive with out Lawrence, they don’t resemble a playoff contender proper now. They need to determine it out — and quick.
