Trevor Lawrence knows he didn’t have a great game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. While he finished with three touchdown passes, it was his three interceptions that proved too much to overcome in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 31-27 loss.
How many of those picks are his fault is tough to say, though. Two looked like a direct consequence of miscommunication with his veteran receivers, Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones. After the game, Lawrence didn’t want to rehash the errors that caused the turnovers, but he made it clear that they’ll be readdressed behind closed doors.
“We have to take accountability and fix it,” Lawrence said. “It starts with me, starts with my communication with all the guys. The outside, the front, the backfield. And we will, I am not concerned. This group is really mature and is willing to go whatever to win and to get better. We’ll fix it.”
“I think we are at that point in the year where we have all had conversations, just a group. Some of the leadership guys on the team, there has to be accountability. It’s never pointing the finger. We all have enough today to look back on and say we didn’t play well individually. Collectively, obviously we didn’t.”
There are issues on both sides of the ball that will need to be ironed out with the playoffs a month away. The Jacksonville defense, which was carrying the team to victories earlier in the year, gave up 880 yards and 65 points in losses to the Bengals and Browns, despite both teams being led by backups. The hobbled Jaguars offense turned the ball over four times in Cleveland.
“We have to get on the same page,” Lawrence said. “I’m making some mistakes out there as well, so I’m not just pointing the finger at other people, but there has to be accountability. Our guys do a good job in responding. If something needs to be said, I’ll say it to them.
“Whether that’s on the field. I try to do it in the most respectful way, because I never want to look like I’m pointing the finger, but also there’s stuff that needs to be fixed and same thing for those guys to come and talk to me. If I’m not doing something right, if they think that I’m going to put the ball here and I put the ball there, we have to clean that up. It’s full circle and those guys understand that.”
The loss of Christian Kirk to a core muscle injury that required surgery has played a significant factor in the Jaguars offense’s difficulties. A hard look in the mirror in his absence will need to happen if the team hopes to get back on track.
