The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t at full strength against the Houston Texans. Still, they built a big lead before ultimately blowing it — a late collapse that highlights why many are questioning whether Trevor Lawrence is the long-term answer at quarterback.
With just 31 seconds left, Texans QB Davis Mills scrambled 14 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, lifting Houston to an improbable 36-29 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday.
### Trevor Lawrence’s Struggles Continue
Trevor Lawrence struggled throughout the game, completing just 13-of-23 passes for 158 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Those numbers are underwhelming, especially for a team that scored 29 points.
Heading into this matchup, questions about Lawrence’s consistency were already swirling. NFL on CBS analyst Nate Burleson expressed his doubts on X, saying, “Trevor Lawrence, who is he? This was a big game. They needed this one. Thirteen for 23. Under 200 yards. One touchdown, one pick. It’s just tough to see this organization moving forward with a guy they may not be 100 percent confident in.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Lawrence currently ranks 17th among quarterbacks with a rating of 72.2. However, it’s worth noting that his ratings were higher in previous seasons — in the high 70s for 2022 (78.6), 2023 (79.7), and 2024 (76.8). This apparent decline is concerning, especially considering he has been healthy this year after missing time in 2023.
Lawrence’s 59.5% completion percentage this season is below the standard typically needed for success. His touchdown to interception ratio, with 10 TDs and seven picks through 10 games in 2024, reflects ongoing issues. Ironically, through the same number of games last year, he had 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
### Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen’s Perspective
Despite the struggles, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen continues to back Lawrence. Earlier this season, Coen told Sports Illustrated:
> “So, you look at it statistically then, yeah, it should probably be higher than a 50 percent completion percentage, and then there’s some throws that he needs to make and he knows that. It’s not a negative, it’s just, hey man, we’ve got to make these throws, and how can we help you, from a footwork standpoint or an accuracy standpoint, some of those things.
> “I’ve been very proud of Trevor, the preparation, the way that he has gone about it, and then the scramble that he made on a critical third down yesterday, there is a lot of resiliency out of him and that group in general.”
Lawrence himself acknowledged the team’s shortcomings after the loss to the Texans, according to jaguars.com:
> “We had our opportunities. We just didn’t take advantage of them. There was a lot of stuff we left out there.”
He downplayed injuries as a major factor, adding:
> “It was more self-inflicted things in the passing game. We got to play better offensively. We gotta score more. [And] we gotta be able to put a team away when you got them down that much.”
Reflecting on the heartbreaking loss, Lawrence said:
> “It’s tough losing in general. To let it go and give it away, it’s tough. To not finish and play our best down the stretch is tough.”
### The Ongoing Debate: Is Lawrence the Future?
The big question remains: how long will Lawrence’s supporters stand behind him?
After a prior 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, John Oehser of jaguars.com responded to an email questioning whether Lawrence is a bust, saying:
> “I in no way, shape, form, nor fashion have to ‘admit’ [Lawrence is a bust]. Though Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t play particularly well Sunday in a 35-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium in London, I’m hard-pressed to name a player on the Jaguars’ offense outside of perhaps rookie wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter who stood out as playing particularly well.
> “Lawrence had played much better the three weeks leading into Sunday than he did in the first three weeks of this season. He didn’t play as well Sunday as he did the previous three weeks. Regardless of his draft position, he must play better moving forward than he did Sunday.”
Lawrence did show improvement in the following week’s narrow 23-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, a win salvaged by a defended two-point conversion attempt.
### What’s Next for the Jaguars?
The loss to the Texans severely hurt Jacksonville’s playoff hopes. After the game, Coach Coen chose to focus more on the collective effort rather than Lawrence individually, telling Sports Illustrated:
> “The reality is we gave up a 19-point lead to lose the game. Part of winning in the National Football League is sustaining a lead. We just needed one stop; didn’t get one.
> “Against a tough defense, points were hard to come by. You score 29, however the points come, you feel like you’re going to have a chance to go win; didn’t get it done.”
As the Jaguars continue their season, the pressure mounts on Lawrence to raise his level of play and help lead the team to victories down the stretch. Whether he can answer those challenges remains to be seen.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/jacksonville-jaguars/jaguars-late-collapse-texans-shows-trevor-lawrence-not-guy
