JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 27: The flag of the Jacksonville Jaguars after a score against the Baltimore Ravens at TIAA Bank Field on November 27, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Can Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence fix his turnover problem?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — With three full seasons in the NFL under his belt, it seems Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has a turnover problem.
It’s an unfortunate reality for the former No. 1 overall pick. And if he’s ever going to become the elite quarterback many expected — and if the Jaguars are going to become playoff contenders — Lawrence is going to have to fix it.
Immediately.
“It’s the biggest thing that he has to focus on moving forward,” coach Doug Pederson said. “We just can’t have this amount of turnovers. How we turn the ball over, where we turn the ball over, it doesn’t matter. We’ve got to protect the football. That’s the No. 1 thing.
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“For the quarterback, the person that touches the ball every snap, we got to make sure the emphasis is taking care of the ball.”
Lawrence has 60 career turnovers, which includes the NFL-high 21 that came this past season (14 interceptions, seven lost fumbles). There are only 11 quarterbacks who have made their debut since 1978 that have turned the ball over more in their first three seasons, per the Elias Sports Bureau. That list includes three Hall of Famers — Warren Moon (73, tied with Steve DeBerg for the most), Peyton Manning (64) and John Elway (61) — but it also includes Mark Sanchez and Blake Bortles (63 each).
While there was plenty of blame to go around for the Jaguars’ epic collapse — missing the playoffs after starting the season 8-3 — Lawrence’s ball security was a key issue. He had 10 total turnovers in the final five games he played (he missed the Carolina game with a sprained right shoulder), all of which the Jaguars lost.
“When you don’t turn the ball over, you win more games,” Lawrence said. “It’s definitely an emphasis [this offseason]. There’s a lot that goes into that. I’ve got to own my part and I’ve got to take better care of the ball. That’s going to give us a better chance to win a lot of these games.
“I understand that and I own that.”
As for how to fix the turnovers, it’s making sure he’s clean with his footwork, being more accurate with his throws, ensuring clear communication with receivers when there are checks and audibles, and taking care of the ball in the pocket and when running.
Quarterbacks sometimes get tagged with turnovers for which they’re not responsible — a ball bouncing off a receivers’ hands or a receiver running the wrong route or not making the correct route adjustment — but Lawrence said that kind of stuff will be minimized if he becomes a more consistent player.
He had an early-season stretch where he posted a QBR of 70 or higher in four of the five games (all victories) heading into the bye week. However, he surpassed a 70 QBR only twice in the final eight games in which he played.
“I needed to play better. It starts with the quarterback,” he said. “In this league, if the quarterback plays well, it gives you a chance every week and I can do a better job of just being consistently the player I know I can be. I thought I did that better earlier in the season and then as the season went on, I thought that there were times where I didn’t play my best. That’s when it’s needed, when the season is on the line and whatever it is, two minute drill at the end of the game, making that throw to [WR Calvin Ridley against Tennessee], that changes the game, things like that.
