Why Trevor Lawrence Zach Wilson deserve a pass for Jaguars Jets rookie-season messes
Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson were the latest quarterbacks taken 1-2 in the NFL Draft. Although their respective individual and team results say they have had downright bad 2021 rookie seasons, writing them both off as quick QBbusts would be far too premature.Lawrence and Wilson have made plenty of mistakes from inexperience while adjusting to the speed of pro defenses. But their numbers also are a major byproductof getting limited help from their support systems.Both QBs alsohave been hurt by contrast vs. the other young QBs.While the 49ers' Trey Lance and the Bears' Justin Fields get incompletes for not starting right away, fellow rookie first-rounder Jerome Robinson Jersey Mac Jones has been efficient leading the Patriots to the AFC's best record. Second-year first-round starters Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert are also all playing well for their teams.Meanwhile, Lawrence throws for the 2-11Jaguars and Wilson slings for the 3-10 Jets. Lawrence has dealt with shaky offensive coaching all season within the dysfunction of Urban Meyer's leadership. Wilson battled a knee injury that cost him four games after a slow start in Mike LaFleur's offense. Along the way, the Jets have lost their left tackle (Mekhi Becton), top running back (rookie Michael Carter) and best two wide receivers (Corey Davis, rookie Elijah Moore) to injuries.In each of their cases, Lawrence and Wilson have been feeling good about their arm and athleticism, often to a fault. When they have been humbled, their confidence has taken consistent hits.2022 NFL DRAFT: | Lawrence's numbers (13 games)Completions: 271Attempts: 466Pa sing yards: 2,735Completion percentage: 58.1Yards per attempt: 5.7Touchdown pa ses: 9Interceptions: 14Pa ser rating: 68.9Lawrence has started every game since Week 1. He had a multiple-TD pa s gamein a lo s against the Texans to open the season, but he hasn't had one since. Hisbest stretch of games also came earlier in the season, when he was consistently rated in the low 90s as a pa ser in Weeks 4-6, a stretch which includeda thrilling win over the Dolphins in London.The worrisome part is the Jaguars have seen regre sive play since the Week 7 bye. Lawrence has thrown onlytwo TD pa ses total since Week 8's action. He was protecting the ball better, with only two interceptions, too until he had a young career-high four in the 20-0 shutout lo s to the Titans in Week 14.Lawrence is handling plenty of skill position blows. He losthis first-round running back from Clemson, Travis Etienne, to a preseason foot injury. Go-to wide receiver D.J. Chark went down with a broken ankle in Week 4. Hybrid receiver Jamal Agnew was done with a hip injury inWeek 11. Security blanket tight end Dan Arnold, acquired from the Panthers, suffered a significant knee injury in Week 12.MORE Patrick Beverley Jersey : The Jaguars have had decent line play and when committed to him, have shown a capable running game with last year's undrafted rookie sensation James Robinson. But with conservative combination of offensivecoordinator Darrell Bevell and pa sing game corodinator Brian Schottenheimer also his quarterbacks coach there's no doubt Lawrence has been more reined-in than let loose. The personnel usage has been maddeningly inconsistent thejourneymanLaquon Treadwell becoming a random receiving factor over free-agent pickup Marvin Jones Jr. and promising second-year man Landry Shamet Jersey Laviska Shenault Jr.Lawrence hasn't settled because nothing is settled around him. The adjustments have failed to be catered to his strengths and, unfortunately, the benching of Robinson in Week 13 has caused Lawrence to question whether he's in the best position to improve at moving the ball.When you look at Lawrence, he's often pre sing to make something happen out of limited a sets, leading to inaccuracy, either rushing short throws or overthrowing receivers. The Jaguars should be letting him operate free with improvisation at timesand use his own running skills to spark his playmaking confidence as a pa ser. It probably doesn't help Lawrence's intangibles as a leader to be in a well-reported uncomfortableenvironment.Lawrence needs a clean slate with a new coaching staff inan offense that understands what all he can do and help him make them do them better, not worse. Let's hope the Jaguars will do him right for a real reset rookie season in 2021 after some embarra singunintentional "redshirting."Wilson's numbers (9 games)Completions: 160Attempts: 285Pa sing yards: 1,741Completion percentage: 56.1Yards per attempt: 6.1Touchdown pa ses: 6Interceptions: 11Pa ser rating: 65.2Wilson has had similiar struggles as Lawrence with accuracy and getting the ball out quickly. He started out being too aggre sive, not taking checkdowns the way he should have and making futile attempts for big plays that came easily to him in college.But since returning from his knee injury, He doesn't seem to play settled, sometimes caught between hanging in there to pa s vs. taking off scrambling.He has looked like the typical skittish rookie at times and in a rhythm-based offense borrowed from the 49ers, the lacking short-to-intermediate precision can snowball into mistakes coming in bunches from Wilson. The Jets have seen a few morered flags from Wilson than the Jaguars have with Lawrence, but Avery Bradley Jersey the knee injury robbed him from precious in-season development time. Wilson has flashed, too, with his deep ball and improvisation, but he needs to learn to play with more control and within a QB-friendly offense.The Jets haven't offered him good pa s protection minus Becton.They were slow in deploying Moore, their most dynamic playmaker, into a prominent role, with a concu sion in Week 3 not helping. Wilson didn't get much time on the field with Davis, with whom he showed a strong downfield connection early, and Moore. Now Davis and Moore are not available, and it's not a good sign that Braxton Berrios is his remaining top target. Carter's special receiving skils out of the backfield are also mi sed and the Jets whiffed not having a more reliable, viable tight end.MORE:Had Lawrence or Wilson started his career in the Patriots' ofense such as Jones, there's no doubt the progre s and production would have been a lot different. The Jaguars' problems were more innate; the Jets' woes grew over the course of the season. The Jaguars need to overhaul scheme and personnel to liftLawrence, while the Jets just need more healthy time with Wilson with some of the pieces already there to make him much more succe sfulin Year 2.It's hard for a rookie QB to dive intocomplete rebuilds and avoid going under water at first.The Patriots, Bengals, Dolphins and Chargers all weren't in that state when their rookies were brought in that fray. The Patriots upgraded tight end, wide receiver and running back well in conjunction with Jones' arrival. The Bengals, Dolphins and Chargers saw some good things with Burrow, Tagovailoa and Herbert as rookie and focused on enhancing them with different "next steps" in both philosophy and personnel.Lawrence and Wilson each have significant room forimprovement. But it's impre sive how they have hung in there Paul George Jersey and been accountable despitestepping into me sy situations. For now, give them more of a one-year pa s than bringing out the bust labelmaker. It would be, however, amuch different story if they stay at the same below-average level in Year 2.