Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were so close on Thursday night. They had a 14-point lead at halftime! And yet, due to a furious Bengals comeback and some questionable second-half decisions from Urban Meyer, they ended up dropping to 0-4, losing their 19th-straight game in the process.
Trevor Lawrence during Thursday’s game against the Bengals. Getty ImagesLawrence played better than he has despite the loss – he completed 70 percent of his passes for 204 yards and didn’t turn the ball over. After Week 3, he had the worst completion percentage and yards per attempt of any QB with over 50 attempts, and his seven interceptions were tied for the league lead. He remains winless – a recurring theme for the rookie QBs this season, who have all struggled in their own right.
Here’s a roundup of how all the rookies are faring in their first NFL season:
Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson during the Jets’ game against the Broncos. Getty ImagesThe No. 2 overall pick has been the starter since day one for the Jets. And if Lawrence hasn’t been the worst full-time QB in the NFL, Wilson has. His seven interceptions were tied with Lawrence for the league lead heading into Week 4, and his completion percentage and yards per attempt were second-worst. The Jets have lost all three of Wilson’s starts, two of them by double digits, and have scored six points combined in their past two losses to the Broncos and Patriots.
Trey Lance
We haven’t seen much of Trey Lance, who remains the backup behind Jimmy Garoppolo for the 49ers. The No. 3 pick has come onto the field for seven snaps – scoring a touchdown on two of those – but only has one pass attempt. The North Dakota State product was never supposed to be ready at this point, but the offense has been somewhat average with Garoppolo under center (5.7 yards per play).
Justin Fields
Justin Fields takes a snap against the Browns. Getty ImagesFields’ first start was a disaster – the team managed 47 (!) total net yards, and the Ohio State product was sacked nine times. It’s fair to argue how much of it was actually Fields’ fault – head coach Matt Nagy has been under hellfire all week for his bizarre gameplan – but it’s clear he has to be better. He has completed 14 of his 35 pass attempts so far (40 percent) and is averaging 3.9 yards per attempt. He helped Chicago hang on to a win over the Bengals in Week 2 when relieving an injured Andy Dalton, but lost his only start in one-sided fashion.
Mac Jones
The Alabama product was steady, if unspectacular, for the Patriots through two weeks before the wheels came off in Week 3 against the Saints. In that game, Jones threw three interceptions and completed 58 percent of his passes, after not turning the ball over and completing 74 percent through two weeks. He has not thrown the ball downfield with any level of success – his average completion has traveled just 4.9 yards past the line of scrimmage. He is the only rookie QB to win a start, though that came against fellow rookie Wilson and the Jets. It won’t get easier when Tom Brady’s Buccaneers come to town on Sunday.



