When he came out of Clemson a few years ago, Trevor Lawrence was definitely the Next Big Thing, and he seemed absolutely destined to become an All-Pro and a superstar. Lawrence had it all—rocket arm, the size to see the field and the athleticism to break out of a collapsing pocket and make plays. Not only that, but everything about him said “winner,” especially after Lawrence’s title run during his astounding freshman year.
So what happened? Lawrence doesn’t look anything like that guy, and he’s been in decline for some time now. Injuries, coaching changes, the lack of targets and a pivotal playoff collapse have taken their toll, and the Jacksonville quarterback seems to have bottomed out completely after a dispiriting 18-13 loss to Cleveland. The quarterback’s own post-game summary was both succinct and accurate: “We suck right now.”
Trevor Lawrence has a Doug Pederson problem, or vice versa
The guy who was supposed to fix Trevor Lawrence was Pederson, the former Philadelphia head coach who somehow managed to coax a Super Bowl win out of now-retired journeyman Nick Foles. Surely, the combination of Pederson’s offensive creativity—he was an NFL quarterback, after all, albeit a backup—and Lawrence’s sheer talent would elevate the Jags to elite status, right?