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The Jacksonville Jaguars were embarrassed by the Buffalo Bills on national television, losing 47-10 on Monday night. They are now 0-3, tanking their playoff chances and putting the AFC South almost out of reach. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, head coach Doug Pederson, and former top pick Travon Walker are to blame and must step up.
Monday's game was out of reach early in the game, as the Bills scored touchdowns on their five first-half drives. Lawrence threw an interception to Damar Hamlin down 17 points, which effectively ended their chances. In each of their three games, they have lost because of poor coaching decisions and quarterback play.
Their next game is on Sunday against the Houston Texans. After a playoff appearance last year, Houston is off to a 2-1 start and sits atop the AFC South again. If they can turn things around quickly, they'll be right back in the conversation for the division title. If not, 0-4 effectively means the season is over.
Trevor Lawrence must live up to the incredible hype
The Jaguars were terrible in 2020, going 2-14 and earning the top pick in the draft. They took Lawrence after he completed an incredible college career at Clemson. He was in the Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck category of quarterback prospects, which meant massive expectations. After Urban Meyer ruined his rookie season. Doug Pederson came to town.
In their first year together, Lawrence led one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history. While they lost in the divisional round, beating the Chargers marked the beginning of a new era in Jacksonville. Since then, things have gone downhill for Lawrence. He has lost eight consecutive starts since last season and the team is plummeting this season.
Lawrence's throw that was intercepted by Hamlin exemplified the issues he has shown this season. Brian Thomas Jr was wide open in the middle of the field. Lawrence overthrew him, the ball landed directly in Hamlin's chest, and the Bills added seven more points just a few plays later. These things must change before the season truly gets away from the Jaguars.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is firmly on the hot seat
When Pederson was hired, he was coming into a great situation. The team had the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, a franchise quarterback, and he only had to be better than Urban Meyer. The former Super Bowl champion secured that playoff win in Year 1 and was flying towards the one seed in the AFC last year. Then, Lawrence got hurt against the Bengals and things changed.
Lawrence continued to play through injury but eventually could not continue. They lost five of their final six games, some with Lawrence and some with CJ Beathard, and missed the playoffs. Pederson did not show any ability to adjust with a new quarterback and they could not figure out how to scrape out a couple of wins.
Now, they are 0-3 and may be ready to make a change. The Jaguars came out of the gates strong, holding a first-half lead against the Dolphins in Week 1. They choked that game away with a Travis Etienne fumble and everything has gone downhill since. They did not show up ready to play in a winnable game against the Browns. Pederson is on the hot seat after the blowout because of his 1-8 record in the last nine games.
Trevon Walker must make the top pick worth it
The Bills defense got after Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars pass rush could not return the favor. They did not sack Josh Allen once and were torn apart in the first half. Joshua Hines-Allen is among the highest-paid edge rushers in the league and struggled. But it is Travon Walker who has never made the first-overall selection worth it in his NFL career.
In the 2022 draft, Walker went first overall out of Georgia. Aiden Hutchinson, Derek Stingley, and Sauce Gardner immediately followed. Each of those defensive players has been the best player on their defenses at points throughout their career. Walker has not been the pass rusher they needed and must turn into that soon.
If Walker can pick up his sack rate, the Jaguars will have one of the best pass-rush duos in the league. With Walker's current output, they cannot count on their defense coming up big in a massive spot.
