The Jacksonville Jaguars will be playing in what is essentially an early playoff game in Week 18 when they face off against the Tennessee Titans. They’ll need to be at their best after faltering late in the season, but they could be short-handed at the most important position on the field, as the playing status of starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is still unknown.
Jaguars: Lawrence Throws At Practice On Thursday
From The Insiders on #NFLPlus: #Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence attempted some throws yesterday. pic.twitter.com/YLQw9Q01Sf
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2024
Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s Week 16 loss to the Buccaneers, which forced him to miss the following week’s action. The Jaguars were able to come out victorious without their leader, shutting out the Carolina Panthers with CJ Bethard under center. But the Titans will present a much bigger challenge while trying to play the spoiler this weekend, and having Lawrence available will be a huge factor for Jacksonville.
On a positive note, it was reported on Wednesday that Lawrence did some light throwing drills and participated in practice on a limited basis. On Thursday, he was seen throwing during the media availability portion of the day’s practice session, but the injury that was described as a “mild sprain” doesn’t seem to be progressing enough to make a call on his game time status for this weekend.
Jacksonville Will Win AFC South If They Can Beat Tennessee
#Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) threw during the media availability portion of practice on Thursday.
A positive sign.
Christian Kirk continues to practice making his way back from a core muscle injury that required surgery.
Not full speed but I continue to be amazed. pic.twitter.com/NRKvFNSkOz
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) January 4, 2024
According to Ian Rapoport, Lawrence has been “trying to feel better”, but the limited availability this late in the week does not bode well.
We have seen Lawrence in play through similar situations before. He has been dinged up multiple times this season alone, but has been under center for his team in every game up until Week 17, which was the first missed start of his three-year career. But, as Rapoport points out, the results of the games in which he played injured have not been favorable for the Jaguars.
Jacksonville can still make the playoffs if they lose to Tennessee, but they’d need a lot of help from some of the other Week 18 games on the slate. With a victory, they’ll take home the AFC South championship and host a first round playoff game.
In last week’s game against Carolina, Bethard was 17 of 24 for 178 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and the Jaguars leaned on the running game in order to wear out the Panthers.
The Jaguars are currently listed as 3.5-point favorites, a line that is subject to change with any concrete report on the status of Trevor Lawrence.
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