2 reasons Jaguars must panic after falling to 0-2 with Browns loss
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a rough start to the 2024 campaign, as they have lost their first two games of the season against the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. They had an epic collapse at the end of the 2023 season, as they missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record, despite starting the year 8-3.
The Jaguars haven't improved much to start the 2024 season it seems, and there are many question marks surrounding the team. In Week 1, Jacksonville led Miami 17-7 at halftime before going scoreless in the second half and losing 20-17. In Week 2, the Jags were sloppy throughout the game , and ended up losing to the Browns 18-13.
Jacksonville's offense has been putrid through the first two weeks of the season, and it's clear they will need to improve in a big way on that side of the ball if they want to begin winning games again.
And perhaps even more notably, the Jags already find themselves two games behind the Houston Texans in the AFC South, which isn't a good sign for their playoff hopes. The AFC is incredibly competitive, which will make it difficult to earn a playoff spot considering the hole they already find themselves in.
With all that being said, let's take a look at two big reasons why it's time for the Jaguars to panic after falling to 0-2 on the season after their loss to the Browns.
Trevor Lawrence has regressed
Franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence has struggled mightily through the first two weeks of the season. In Week 1, Lawrence completed just 57.1 percent of his passes for 162 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. In Week 2, he was even worse, completing just 46.7 percent of his passes for 220 yards for no touchdowns.
The Jaguars inked Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million contract extension over the offseason, which ties him with Joe Burrow and Jordan Love for the second-highest average annual value of any player in the league at $55 million per year.
And yet, while Lawrence was the consensus number one pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he has not been consistent since entering the NFL. In the 2022 season, Lawrence had a career year, as he completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns, with all of those numbers career-highs. He also threw a career-low eight interceptions and led the Jaguars to the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
However, in 2023, Lawrence's numbers dipped, which coincided with the Jaguars missing the postseason. He threw for 4,016 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.
This season, Lawrence is on pace for an even worse campaign, as his completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns have completely dropped off. It's only a two-game sample size, but it's jarring to see how off Lawrence has looked to start the new season. Yes, he lost Calvin Ridley in free agency, but he still has a ton of targets at his disposal.
Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby lead a talented backfield, while Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. are solid pass catchers. Tight end Evan Engram is also still around, although he missed the Week 2 contest when he suffered a hamstring injury during pregame warmups. Simply put, in order for Jacksonville to turn their season around, Lawrence will need to return to his 2022 form.
Jaguars offensive line and run game are struggling
Although a lot of the blame falls on Lawrence, the offensive line and run game isn't making his life any easier. Despite having two talented running backs in Etienne and Bigsby, the Jaguars have struggled to establish the ground game in the first two games.
On the season, Ettiene has rushed 25 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns. While these numbers aren't atrocious, they aren't going to get the job done. Bigsby has been more efficient, rushing for 73 yards on 12 carries, but he picked up a shoulder injury in Week 2 that prevented him from getting a single carry in the game.
The offensive line has allowed Lawrence to be sacked seven times this season, which is tied for the fifth most in the league. To relieve pressure off of Lawrence, the offense needs the running game to step up, which will be a lot easier to accomplish if the offensive line can get their act together.
The Jaguars are off to a rough start, and it will take an offensive turnaround to reignite their playoff hopes.
