The Jacksonville Jaguars may or may not have their starting quarterback back on the field for their crucial Week 18 matchup against their division rival Tennessee Titans. Lawrence is trying to take his chances, knowing the AFC South title — and a playoff spot — is on the line Sunday.
By NFL Media, Lawrence pushes to play, and the quarterback is not at risk of getting injured again. The issue is pain tolerance for Lawrence as he plays 60 minutes of football.
Lawrence is listed as questionable for the game, and head coach Doug Pederson said Friday that a decision on his status “could be until game time.” via NFL Media. Pederson noted that Lawrence is “progressing well” as he recovers from shoulder and finger injuries that kept him out of last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers. Lawrence was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday after not practicing at all before the Week 17 game against Carolina.
If Lawrence ultimately can’t go, backup CJ Beathard will be expected to fill in again. Beathard was 40 of 53 for 349 yards and a touchdown in his relief appearances this season. He had thrown just 13 passes in his previous two seasons as Lawrence’s backup.
As for the Jaguars, they currently sit in first place in the AFC South, thanks to their tiebreakers against the Colts and Texans due to head-to-head winning percentage. That means if the Jags beat the Titans on Sunday, they will win the division and host a first-round playoff game. If they lose to Tennessee, they will need the Steelers and Broncos to also lose and the Texans-Colts game not to end in a tie, in order to make the playoffs as a wild-card team.
Having Lawrence under center would obviously go a long way in helping Jacksonville secure a win and a second straight playoff berth. His status will be important to monitor heading into the weekend.
