Wednesday QB Battle: Trevor Lawrence vs Bryce Young

This is a new series I'm starting for the season called Wednesday's Quarterback Battle. This article will break down the differences (and similarities in some cases) of our guy Trevor Lawrence and the QB the Jaguars face the coming week. So without further ado let's dive into Trevor Lawrence vs Bryce Young as the Jaguars prepare for a week 1 opener against the Carolina Panthers. Here's the career numbers for both guys so far:

Trevor Lawrence: 22-38 Career Regular Season Record 1-1 Career Playoff Record

Passing Yds	Passing TDs	INTs	Rushing Yds	Rushing TDs	Fumbles Lost
13,815	69	46	1,083	14	22

Bryce Young: 6-22 Career Record No Playoff Appearances

Passing Yds	Passing TDs	INTs	Rushing Yds	Rushing TDs	Fumbles Lost
5,280	26	19	502	6	8

These QBs had very similar beginnings to their respective NFL careers. Both Young and Lawrence were drafted number 1 overall to teams that were clearly entering a rebuild. The Jaguars were a 1-15 franchise that had shipped off most of the talent it did have the offseason before. Carolina acquired the number 1 overall pick from the Bears in search of franchise quarterback after going 7-10 and starting a combination of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and PJ Walker. Both Young and Lawrence struggled their rookie years with bottom of the NFL rosters around them. Bryce Young only managed to throw 11TDs while Lawrence didn't fair much better only tossing 12TDs.

Here's where their paths have differed so far. Lawrence went on to score a combined 30TDs while only throwing 8 INTs and leading Jacksonville back to the playoffs for the first time in 5 years. It would seem like he had emerged as the top 10 quarterback many had believed he would be when he entered the league. Unfortunately a combination of injuries, turnovers, and poor coaching have Lawrence staring at the bust label again from the NFL media.

Bryce Young had a much rockier start to his sophomore season in the NFL. He started the year with only 245yds Passing while throwing 0TDs and 3INTs across two blowout loses to the Saints and Chargers. He was benched for the next five weeks and only saw a few garbage time snaps over those games. Young was then inserted into the starting lineup for a road matchup against the Denver Broncos in week 8. From then on he looked like a completely different quarterback scoring 21 total TDs to just 6INTs in that span. This includes a 3 game stretch to end the season where he threw for 600yds and 7TDs to just 0 INTs, the best 3 game stretch of his career. While he still has a lot to prove Young made a lot of strides towards looking the part of an NFL QB.

As far as physically, you couldn't get two more different quarterbacks on an NFL football field. Lawrence is 6' 6", 220lbs, with a rocket right arm while Young is 5' 10", 204lbs, and relies on touch and anticipation to make up for a lack of true NFL arm strength. While there isn't a blade of grass on the field Lawrence can't hit, he has struggled with touch on shorter throws and tends to try and fire the ball into tight windows. This has led to some insane throws that separate him from other NFL guys (the tight window throw to Calvin Ridley in the 2023 opener against the Colts comes to mind) but also some head scratching TO's. Bryce Young is very much the opposite. He excels in the short to medium anticipation throws but struggles to consistently push the ball down the field. What he lacks in arm strength he makes up for by being shifty in the pocket and knowing where to put the ball when he's outside the pocket.

He reminds me a lot of Gardner Minshew when he was on the Jags. He's never going to kill you from inside the pocket but it's the ability to make something out of nothing that can win you a ball game. As I was watching his film one play in particular jumped out at me. Week 5 against the Bears he gets inserted into the game with the Panthers down big. Young feels pressure and has to roll out to the right where his eventual receiver on the play Miles Sanders has to break off his route and go into a scramble drill. Young has a guy in his face as he lobs a ball down the right sideline to Sanders who has two defenders trailing him and a safety over to top. Young threads the needle and hits Sanders perfectly in stride for a big gain. It showed you flashes of exactly what led him to being the first QB off the board in the 2023 draft.

These QBs will be out to prove two very different things this coming Sunday. For Lawrence he's trying to establish himself as a top 10 quarterback, put the bust label to bed permanently, and make it back to the playoffs. For Bryce Young it's simple: prove to the Panthers organization that they don't need to draft a quarterback and instead build around you.

Who Has The Bigger Day: Trevor Lawrence

I picked this game to be a blowout in favor of the Jags and I'll stick with Lawrence being a big difference maker here. He'll have the best weapons, the better run game to lean on, and a new scheme that won't have any film on how Lawrence operates it. Bryce Young will have to face Walker and JHA, who are quietly the best pass rushing duo in the NFL the past two seasons, without one of his starting tackles and no Jalen Coker. I'll lean on Lawrence's experience in this one but I don't expect big numbers from either guy. I think the Jags run game and defense will lead the way early.

Stat Predictions

Lawrence: 270yds Passing, 2 Total TDs, 1 TO, 2 Sacks

Young: 220yds Passing, 1 TD, 3 TO's, 5 Sacks