Jaguars vs. Panthers: Jacksonville Offers High Praise For Bryce Young

Trevor Lawrence knows what it is like to be the No. 1 pick on a struggling team. If anyone can relate to Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, it is likely the quarterback he may face in Week 17.

"It seems like our rookie years are kind of going similar up until this point. I would just say for him to just stay the course, I think there’s no denying he’s a super talented guy," Lawrence said this week.

"He has all the tools and tangibles it seems like. I don’t know Bryce super well, but I’ve met him before and I really enjoyed talking to him and spending a little bit of time with him. He’s a guy that I think is easy to root for, just his personality and the way he carries himself. Those are things that I appreciate.

"Just to stay the course, hopefully he’s going to have a long career. I think he’s definitely got the talent and the abilities to do that. Obviously, things are a little grey with how the season has gone but continue to plug away. Things will get better, I got confidence in that. If he just continues to be the same guy every day, then I think that’s what you need in those situations; a consistent leader, a guy that’s going to be the same. Your play on the field is important too, but off the field, just keeping everybody together and keeping the team tight and intact.”

In 14 starts this year, Young has completed 59.7% of his passes for 2,671 yards (5.6 yards per attempt), with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Young has also rushed 36 times for 227 yards.

Young is fresh off the best game of his career, completing 63.9% of his passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns in a near-comeback vs. the Green Bay Packers. Now, the Jaguars will have to see if they can slow down the suddenly surging No. 1 pick.

“He’s grinding. It’s a tough situation, he’s on a team that has a bunch of talent offensively and they had some tough breaks. He’s grinding, he’s making progress," Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said this week.

"You’ve seen him, his progressions are starting to be smoother, he’s getting the ball out of his hands faster, he has some weapons around him. We’ve faced a bunch of young quarterbacks this year, and haven’t fared well against a bunch of them. Now is another opportunity for us to get back. Anybody that roles in here this week, we need to be ready to play. It’s more about us making sure we’re ready to play than whoever we play.”

During the Jaguars' four-game losing streak, the Jaguars have ranked No. 25 and No. 30, respectively, in EPA/Play allowed against the pass and success rate against the pass. They have also allowed seven touchdown passes in that span, while picking off the opposing quarterback just twice.

Now, they will have to hope they can keep Young from building off the best game of his career.

“I think you see improvement from the beginning of the year to where they are now. The team around him is playing better, getting more out of the skill position guys. They’ve done a nice job with it," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Thursday.

"He’s settled in and doing the things they’re asking him to do, he’s been good. Teams that try to rush him, he does a nice job of getting out of it and escaping the pocket where he can either run, extend drives or first downs, or complete a pass. You’re just seeing that constant improvement that I know they want to see throughout the year.”