Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence cannot let pressure turn into another costly decision against the New England Patriots. Locked On Jaguars host Tony Wiggins pointed to Lawrence’s midfield interception in Denver, arguing that the quarterback should not have tried to give Parker Washington a chance on a 50-50 ball on third down after crossing midfield.
Wiggins’ point was not that Lawrence must stop taking chances altogether. It was that game situation has to dictate the throw. With Jacksonville still having another down and the ball near midfield, Wiggins said Lawrence needed to send the pass out of bounds rather than force it to Washington, giving the offense another opportunity to continue the drive.
The Jaguars also need to give Lawrence a cleaner pocket than they did in their loss to Denver. Wiggins said Lawrence spent too much time running from pressure, while the rushing attack faded in the second half. New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams presents another interior challenge, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez can turn an inaccurate or late outside throw into a turnover.
Lawrence’s decision-making also intersects with Jacksonville’s receiving issues. Wiggins cited drops by Jaguars wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Washington among the execution mistakes that hurt the offense against Denver. The quarterback cannot compensate for those errors by forcing low-percentage throws, particularly when the Patriots have a corner Wiggins called one of the league’s best.
Jacksonville’s clearest path is to keep the offense on schedule: protect Lawrence, sustain the run when possible, and let its receivers create the advantages the unit is built to produce. If the offensive line again allows immediate disruption, Lawrence will face more pressure to create outside the structure of the play — the exact scenario Wiggins said the Jaguars must manage better.
For Jacksonville, the matchup will test whether Lawrence and the offense can pair cleaner execution with better line play. Avoiding the single throw that flips field position or costs a possession would be a meaningful correction after the Denver loss.
Jaguars News and Notes
– Jaguars cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter remains a focal point of the team’s usage debate. Wiggins said Hunter’s workload should follow demonstrated practice performance and the weekly game plan, rather than a demand to increase his snaps simply because of his draft status.
– Jaguars defensive ends Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen need tighter coordination with the secondary against Patriots QB Drake Maye. Wiggins said the pass rush can lose its value when defensive backs allow quick throws underneath, as Jacksonville experienced against Bo Nix and Denver.
