By Jeff Moeller, Florida Sports Wire
JACKSONVILLE – To be or not to be…or better yet, to play or not to play. That is the question.
It’s not as deep as a Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson is faced with his own life or death decision on whether to play quarterback Trevor Lawrence Sunday at the Bank against the Houston Texans.
Lawrence has been sidelined with an injured left shoulder the past two weeks, and the Jags are in the midst of a four-game losing streak with a miserable overall 2-9 record. He has practiced this week, and it could come down to a game-time decision.
Backup Mac Jones, who had hoped to find new life in his hometown, has looked like his Patriots days, completing 31 of 51 attempts with three interceptions in relief.
Houston is setting atop the mediocre AFC South with an overall 7-5 record, and the Texans have been inconsistent all season. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud hasn’t grown from an impressive rookie campaign, and their battered offensive line is viewed as one of the worst in the league.
So, the Texans could be had here. They’re coming off a bad loss to Tennessee last week when Stroud took an ill-advised safety.
The Jaguars could have been right on their heels or ahead of them if they would not have some of their losses against the Dolphins, Browns, Texans (24-20, the winning score with 18 seconds left in Sept.), Packers, Eagles, and Vikings slip away from them.
The Jags lost those games by a combined 25 points, the biggest margin being five to the Eagles in a 28-23 loss.
If the Jags were 6- 5 or 5-6 at this point, Lawrence would likely play. They have five winnable games left on their schedule with the Titans (twice), Jets, Colts, and Raiders.
But those thoughts can be saved for next season. This season appears to be a lost one.
If Lawrence plays and the Jags win, it could be the igniter for a final chapter run. Yet, there isn’t anything at stake except to finish with five or six wins.
Still, that might be pushing it with the play of their erratic defense. Stroud torched them for 345 yards with two touchdowns, and Nico Collins – who is returning this week from an injury -ran the field for 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.
The Jags currently hold the top pick in the draft, and sitting Lawrence for the remainder of the season would probably guarantee it.
On the other hand, head coach Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke may want to play him to help secure their jobs. Lawrence could get the nod to salvage what’s left of trainwreck of a season or sit for a reboot next season with a No. 1 overall pick probably helping his defense.
