Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars Ripped by NFL Fans After Big Loss to Bucs in Playoff Picture

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Sunday couldn’t have gone much worse for Trevor Lawrence.

The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback threw for two interceptions, lost a fumble, was sacked three times and ultimately left the game in the fourth quarter and didn’t return with a shoulder injury, all while his team was blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-12.

It was a brutal loss for the Jaguars as they look to remain in the playoff hunt, dropping them to 8-7. Both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans hold identical records, setting up quite the battle for the AFC South title with just two games remaining.

The Jags have two very winnable games against the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans remaining. But the team’s four-game losing streak has turned them from AFC contenders to a team fighting for its postseason life.

Lawrence, who also threw for 211 yards and a touchdown, didn’t do his team many favors on Sunday. Granted, he had a short week after going through the concussion protocol. And he faced consistent pressure from Tampa’s blitz, leaving him scrambling for his life throughout the contest.

But fans and pundits alike weren’t about to cut him much slack after the horrid performance:

While Lawerence was struggling, Baker Mayfield was absolutely dealing, throwing for 284 yards and two touchdowns, taking one sack. He didn’t turn the ball over.

So Lawrence will face the majority of the scorn, and justifiably so, but this was a team loss.

The Jaguars turned the ball over four times in total, leading to 21 Bucs’ points. They only ran for 37 yards. Tampa had a little over 37 minutes of possession, playing the ball control game well. Head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor deserve scrutiny as well as this team continues to sink.

The Jaguars remain atop the AFC South based on tiebreakers. But if this team doesn’t find some sort of spark, the 2023 season is going to end in bitter disappointment, and earlier than expected.