Trevor Lawrence: National champion, first overall pick, NFL coach?
Lawrence has been a man of many helmets during his young NFL career, with the “franchise savior” label having been applied before he even took a snap with the Jags. Now, he apparently gets to add “coach” to his resume.
The Jaguars QB was apparently dissatisfied with the coaching staff’s decision to sit running back James Robinson after he fumbled the ball in Jacksonville’s loss at the Rams last weekend, and let them know about it.
“Bottom line is: James is one of our best players, and he has to be on the field.”
ICYMI, I asked Trevor Lawrence about James Robinson potentially having been benched the past two weeks: pic.twitter.com/dxwUF0Eqs2
— Mia O’Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) December 8, 2021
In my eyes, obviously, I’m the one that’s out, see all the pieces moving, I see the whole picture. Bottom line is James is one of our best players and he’s got to be on the field and we addressed it, and I feel like we’re in a good spot and the whole team, we’re good. Whatever may have happened, I honestly don’t even know everything that went into it.
I’m playing the game and stuff happens on the sideline with coaching decisions. I don’t really get into that, but I know and I voiced my opinion: James is one of our best players and he’s got to be in the game. I think we’re all on the same page, so there’s no confusion there. We’re going to move forward. I know James is a hell of a player, so I want him out there.
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Jags running back Carlos Hyde finished just ahead of Robinson in snaps last weekend (29 to 26), but Robinson missed 20 consecutive plays on offense after an apparent benching for fumbling.
The same happened in their Nov. 28 game vs. Atlanta: Robinson missed 16 plays after fumbling.
Holding players accountable in the NFL isn’t overly common, considering that backups and third stringers are usually noticeably worse than their starting counterparts. That can be said about Robinson and Hyde: Robinson, RB1, has 887 scrimmage yards this season and seven total touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per rushing attempt.
Hyde has 310 total yards from scrimmage this year with 3.5 yards per attempt this season.
It’s not a Power 5 college offense (which Meyer is familiar with), where top offense players can be cycled out with, well, other top offensive players without missing much of a beat.
“You bench yourself,” Meyer said (via ESPN). “If you lay the ball on the ground and you come out for a few plays, and then it’s up to the position coach and whoever to put you back in, whenever that’s time.”
It’s also worth mentioning that Robinson is arguably Jacksonville’s best all-around offense weapon, and Meyer’s proclaimed best RB option — something that will certainly help a young quarterback through the ebbs and flows of a rookie year in the NFL.
One thing’s for sure: Lawrence is certainly going to earn his reputation as “field general.”