After a positive start to the season, Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars stubbed their toe against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
Lawrence turned the ball over five times -- four fumbles -- in the 29-21 loss in rain-soaked Philly. The four fumbles were the most lost in a game by any player since at least 1991, per NFL Research.
Coach Doug Pederson believes Sunday's rocky outing was simply a bad day at the office for the young quarterback.
"Let's hope it's a blip," Pederson said, via the team’s official website. "I don't think it's a setback. I think it's a blip. You hate to say it, but maybe it's one of those games in the season where just nothing goes right. It happens. I never make excuses. We have to do a better job of hanging onto the football. He knows that. That's the prize possession out there. If we make the plays that were left on the field, it might be a different outcome today."
Beyond the turnovers, Lawrence struggled to make throws in the rain, finishing 11-of-23 passing for 174 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The 47.8 completion percentage was Lawrence's lowest since Week 10, 2021 (he had a 69.4 rate through the first three games). Lawrence also earned a career-low -21.1 completion percentage over expectation, per Next Gen Stats.
Despite the bad game, it's a testament to Pederson's club that they were even in the game late. Jacksonville had the ball down eight points with just under two minutes left before the final Lawrence fumble.
"Obviously, it is what it is," Pederson said. "We lost the football game. But when you look at it, there were plays to be made. Our guys will learn to make them as we go. In time, they will learn to do that. There are very teachable moments for us as an offense, for a team -- even defensively.
"At the end of the day, that's a playoff team that we still had chances of beating. Unfortunately, we didn't."
The loss pushed the Jags to 2-2 and into a tie with Tennessee atop the AFC South. If Lawrence puts the turnover-filled day behind him and the young players continue to develop, Pederson's club will be in contention throughout the season.
