Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer December 18, 2023, 1:08 a.m. ET
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- Michael DiRocco is an NFL reporter for ESPN. DiRocco covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for ESPN.com and the Florida Times-Union for over a decade. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner. You can follow DiRocco on Twitter at @ESPNdirocco.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion following Sunday night's 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at EverBank Stadium.
Head coach Doug Pederson said Lawrence was injured on one of his three tackles on the Jaguars' final possession, but wasn't sure which one. This jeopardizes his status for Sunday's crucial game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jaguars, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are atop the AFC South at 8-6.
Lawrence has started every game since he was drafted first overall in 2021, a streak of 48 consecutive starts. CJ Beathard would start if Lawrence was unable to play against the Bucs. The Jaguars released third-string quarterback Nathan Rourke on Saturday and will likely try to re-sign him early this week.
Lawrence completed 25 of 43 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens, but also lost two fumbles that the Ravens turned into 10 points. He also allowed the Jaguars to be inside Baltimore's 5-yard line at the end of the first half.
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The Jaguars reached the 5-yard line after Lawrence's 36-yard completion to receiver Zay Jones, and Pederson said the offense should run a play instead of shooting the ball to stop the clock. The Jaguars got the ball with 11 seconds left and Lawrence threw a quick pass to receiver Parker Washington near the numbers, but Ravens safety Marcus Williams tackled Washington downfield and time expired before the Jaguars could line up to take the ball to grab the ball.
“We’re going to stay aggressive,” Pederson said. “We have scored in situations like this before. It was just a mistake on Trevor's part, who obviously knew the situation and knew how much time he had left. It's a great learning experience for us when it comes to not throwing the ball in the ball can be addressed in this situation.
“We’ll learn from it, but it’s just another great opportunity for us to try to get in the end zone.”
Asked whether Lawrence should stop making such a mistake in his third season, Pederson replied: “You can blame it on us too. Put that on us as coaches. Train this situation a little better.”
Had the Jaguars been able to make a field goal, they would have trailed the Ravens 10-3 at halftime. Instead, they became the first team in the last two seasons to be sent off in the first half despite four drives inside the opponent's 40-yard line.
This play capped an ugly first half for the Jaguars. Kicker Brandon McManus hit the right upright with a 50-yard field goal attempt and pulled a 55-yard attempt past the left goal. Lawrence's first fumble came when he inexplicably dropped the ball during a scramble at the Baltimore 20. The Ravens turned that into their only touchdown of the half.
Lawrence lost his second fumble in the third quarter when he was sacked by defensive tackle Justin Madubuike on the Jaguars' 19th play. Four plays later, Justin Tucker hit a 34-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 23-7 lead.