Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars fell short in a thrilling shootout against the Cincinnati Bengals, losing in overtime, 31-34. This loss marked them at 8-4 on the season, as two of their divisional rivals closed the gap between them and the Jags for first place in the AFC South.
Not only did Jacksonville lose their Week 13 matchup and a significant chunk of their lead on the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans in the standings, they also lost their leader, young star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence was having another spectacular game in a solid third year before we went down with a seemingly gruesome injury while trying to mount a late comeback to down the Bengals. Up to that point, the former Clemson Tiger had racked up 258 passing yards and two touchdowns.
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With the game tied at 28 with just under six minutes left in the contest, Lawrence was leading his team on a potential game-winning drive, having brought his offense to Cincinnati’s 24-yard line, well within scoring distance.
On a crucial third-and-11, Jaguars left tackle Walker Little was uprooted and driven back into his quarterback, inadvertently stepping on Lawrence’s ankle. The impact caused the passer to crumple to the ground, resulting in a sack, and Jacksonville fans had to look on as their quarterback writhed in pain while grabbing at his lower leg.
The injury held Lawrence out for the remainder of the game, and Cincinnati was able to capitalize on his absence, as the Bengals stifled the Jags offense in overtime and stole the match with a field goal.
Thankfully for Jacksonville, the results of Lawrence’s MRI came back negative, and he was ultimately diagnosed with a high ankle sprain. The injury shouldn’t cost the quarterback the rest of his season, and the Jags can anticipate his return soon.
Trevor Lawrence Regular Season Stats:
| YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,004 | 14 | 7 | 61.3 |
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson confirms it’s only a high-ankle sprain for QB Trevor Lawrence.
Status is still TBD, but he has not been ruled out for Week 14 yet. pic.twitter.com/eYCHzWePHI
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) December 5, 2023
The question now is: can a defense that allowed Jake Browning to throw for 354 yards on 32-37 passing provide enough support for an offense that’s been less than spectacular outside of Lawrence to keep the Jaguars afloat until the quarterback returns? The world knows that C.J. Beathard is capable of managing a winning team, but he’s definitely not able to win any games by himself the way that Lawrence has done for Jacksonville this season.
With both the Colts and the Texans just one game behind the Jaguars, Jacksonville could very well lose the top seed in the division by the time Lawrence returns, and it may be too late for him to salvage the season.
Jaguars Confirm High Ankle Sprain For Trevor Lawrence, Not Ruled Out For Week 14 https://t.co/S3fMgbapwr #Jaguars pic.twitter.com/ONS6PIYpaG
— NFLTradeRumors.co (@nfltrade_rumors) December 5, 2023
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| Title: Can Trevor Lawrence return in time to save the Jacksonville Jaguars?
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: December 7th, 2023
