Report: Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence ruled out for Week 17 vs. Panthers.
NFL: Jaguars Trevor is out of week 17 vs Panthers…
Veteran backup C.J. Beathard will get the start in place of Lawrence. Beathard has already made six relief appearances for the Jags this season, going 23-for-29 for 171 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions.
How Gardner Minshew and the Colts could steal the AFC South
The backup quarterback has stepped up this year, and now he could very well be leading the Colts to a most improbable division title.
Jacksonville’s AFC South title odds in limbo
Jaguars precipitous fall could keep them out of the postseason entirely
CJ Beathard drops back to pass3-08-01-PM-8658Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
Five weeks ago, the Jaguars’ playoff chances improved to 94% when Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard, game-tying field goal attempt doinked off the crossbar and fell to the turf of the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium. Jacksonville (then 8-3) has not won a game since that final week of November, allowing the Texans and Indianapolis Colts (then each 6-5) to eliminate their two-game edge in the AFC South standings.
AFC South Standings
Team
Record
Division Record
Remaining Opponents
Playoff Odds
Jacksonville Jaguars
8-7
4-1
vs. CAR, @ TEN
72%
Indianapolis Colts
8-7
3-2
vs. LV, vs. HOU
48%
Houston Texans
8-7
2-2
vs. TEN, @ IND
42%
Tennessee Titans
5-10
0-4
@ HOU, vs. JAX
0%
Lawrence, hobbled since spraining his ankle in Week 13’s Monday Night Football matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals, has admirably fought through ailments to be there for his team over the past month but has not been able to lead the Jags to a victory. The New York Times playoff simulator currently gives Jacksonville a 72% chance to make the postseason, and 48% odds to win the AFC South.
Head coach Doug Pederson may be making the move to Beathard with his team’s postseason prospects in mind. The Panthers (2-13) hold the worst record in the league and clinch the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft for the Chicago Bears—Carolina sacrificed the pick in its trade up last spring to select Bryce Young No. 1 overall—with one more loss.
The Jags, even amid a four-game losing streak, presumably possess the talent to defeat the suddenly frisky squad out of Charlotte without their franchise quarterback. A postseason win without Lawrence, however, would feel unfeasible, which is why the Jaguars must allow him to get healthy, as he has struggled since picking up his first ailment in Week 13.
Trevor Lawrence Comparison
Stat
Lawrence Week 13-15
Lawrence Week 1-12
Completion %
57.4
67.9
TD-INT
5-5
14-7
Pass Yards/Game
244
250.3
Yards/Attempt
6.0
7.5
Passer Rating
71.5
94.4
A loss to the Panthers, though, could be devastating to Jacksonville’s odds of winning the AFC South. Paired with victories by the Colts and Texans in Week 17, a Jacksonville loss to Carolina would eliminate the Jags from the division title chase and relegate them to a Wild Card bid for postseason participation.
Those three outcomes, without consideration of what the other AFC Wild Card contenders do, give the Jaguars just a 39% chance at claiming one of the two remaining Wild Card spots.
