2 weeks Ago By Ryan OLeary
Trevor Lawrence was in a tough spot Sunday, facing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers . Already without starting running back Travis Etienne, the Jacksonville Jaguars had lost each of their top three wide receivers — Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis — to in-game injuries.
Utilizing lesser known options like Parker Washington and backup tight end Brenton Strange, Lawrence led back-to-back scoring drives to get the game tied, 27-27, with 1:48 remaining in regulation. He never got the ball back, though, as the Packers marched down the field for a 24-yard Brandon McManus field goal as time expired to win the game. When asked about Lawrence’s gritty fourth quarter, head coach Doug Pederson somewhat awkwardly downplayed his quarterback’s performance .
Here’s a snippet of his postgame exchange with reporters: Easy, layup question from @HaysCarlyon to praise and uplift your $275M franchise QB. Watch what Doug does instead: pic.twitter.
com/SJx0CGRHZg Pederson wasn’t going there. Maybe it was Lawrence’s pair of brutal turnovers deep inside Jaguars territory. Both plays led to Green Bay touchdowns, and they were masked a bit in the box score by Lawrence’s 300-yard passing day and three total touchdowns.
Pederson’s probably not in the mood to praise anything right now. His team is 2-6, the schedule is only getting tougher over the next month, and the clock is ticking on his run as the seventh head coach in Jaguars history. MORE: NFL insider: Dependable Jaguars veteran could be next big-name wide receiver on the move.
