Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence comes up short in 2nd half with season opener on the line

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence has no excuses for his season-opening performance.

Unlike many other NFL starting quarterbacks, Lawrence played plenty in the preseason. And he looked sharp along the way, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to three touchdowns in four exhibition drives.

He was supposedly ready. It didn't show against Miami.

Lawrence completed 12 of 21 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 20-17 loss at the Dolphins on Sunday. His dozen completions were the second fewest in his professional career, and he was particularly pedestrian in the second half.

Lawrence was 3 for 7 passing for 37 yards in the final two quarters as the Jaguars failed to score and squandered a 10-point lead at the break. They came up short on all five third down conversion attempts.

“Our lack of execution offensively, it wasn’t just one person,” coach Doug Pederson said. “It really comes down to our third down conversions in this football game and not staying on the field."

The game turned on running back Travis Etienne’s fumble near the goal line late in the third quarter. Instead of extending their lead to 24-7, the Jaguars got burned by Tyreek Hill for an 80-yard score on the ensuing play and found themselves in a three-point game and with no momentum.

That’s when Lawrence was supposed to step up, take over or be the difference-maker. After all, he signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension in June that included $142 million guaranteed.

Instead, Lawrence sailed a pass over Christian Kirk’s head on one third down and was sacked on consecutive plays the following drive. The first sack was a head-scratcher because Lawrence had receivers open on second-and-10 and held the ball too long.

“I don’t have all the answers right now,” Lawrence said. “But I definitely know that we had our opportunities, and we really just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Jacksonville’s run defense was a bright spot. The Jaguars allowed 81 yards on 25 carries, with 20 of those yards coming on consecutive runs by fresh-legged backup Jeff Wilson in the fourth.

The return of defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, the progression of third-year pro Travon Walker and the addition of veteran Arik Armstead appears to have made the Jaguars even more stout up front alongside Pro Bowler Josh Hines-Allen.

Jacksonville ranked ninth in the league against the run in 2023.

General manager Trent Baalke spent considerable resources in hopes of improving the offense’s short-yardage woes from last season. He signed two offensive linemen in free agency and was counting on 2023 third-round pick Tank Bigsby to make a jump in Year 2.

But the Jaguars showed marginal improvement against the Dolphins.

The most glaring shortcomings came on consecutive plays spanning the third and fourth quarters. Right guard Brandon Scherff got bend backward as Bigsby was stopped for no gain on third-and-1 from their 32. And then coming out of a TV timeout, Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor strangely dialed up an outside run on fourth down.

Left tackle Cam Robinson whiffed on his block, and Etienne ended up losing 2 yards.

Bigsby ran for 73 yards on 12 carries — both career highs — and nearly broke what would have been a 97-yard scamper in the third. It was the kind of performance the Jaguars expected when they drafted him out of Auburn last year.

But the rookie fumbled twice in his first 24 touches and tipped a pass that resulted in an interception in the 2023 season opener. Coaches seemingly lost faith from there, and Bigsby had to earn it back.

Right tackle Anton Harrison, a second-year pro who was stout as a rookie, struggled mightily against the Dolphins. He allowed two sacks, was penalized once and ended up being the team's lowest-graded lineman, according to Pro Football Focus.

It was one of the more surprising developments from the season opener. Harrison is considered the team’s starting left tackle beginning in 2025.

CB Tyson Campbell, who was sidelined six games last season, will “miss some time” after injuring his left hamstring in the fourth quarter, Pederson said. Pederson added that Campbell will be week to week.

6 — number of losses to former Houston QB Deshaun Watson, who will start for Cleveland on Sunday. Watson went 6-0 as a starter against Jacksonville during his time in Houston.

The Jaguars need more offensive consistency, and maybe it starts with less secrecy regarding whether Pederson or Taylor is calling plays.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence gestures during a post game NFL football news conference, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) grabs Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) as he fumbles the ball during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks up a the scoreboard during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) takes a break during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

AVIGNON, France (AP) — A man accused of drugging his then-wife and inviting dozens of men to rape her over nearly a decade is testifying in court on Tuesday in southern France, in a case that has shocked the country.

Dominique Pélicot, now 71, faces 20 years in prison if convicted. While he previously confessed to investigators, the court testimony will be crucial for the panel of judges to decide on the fate of some 50 other men standing trial next to him, all accused of raping Gisèle Pélicot.

Many also hope his testimony will shed some light — to try to understand the unthinkable.

Gisèle Pélicot, who has become a symbol of the fight against sexual violence in France for agreeing to waive her anonymity in the case and let the trial be public, is expected to speak in court after her ex-husband's testimony on Tuesday.

Bernadette Tessonière, a 69-year-old retiree who lives a half-hour drive from Avignon, where the trial is taking place, arrived outside the courthouse at 7:15 a.m. to make sure she would secure a seat in the closely watched case.

“How is it possible that in 50 years of communal life, one can live next to someone who hides his life so well? This is scary,” she said, while standing in a line outside the courthouse. “I don’t have much hope that what he did can be explained, but he is at least going to give some elements.”

Pélicot’s much-awaited testimony was delayed by days after he fell ill, suffering from a kidney stone and urinary infection, his lawyers said.

A security agent caught Pélicot in 2020 taking videos under women’s skirts in a supermarket, according to court documents. Police searched Pélicot's house and electronic devices, and found thousands of photos and videos of men engaging in sexual acts with Gisèle Pélicot while she appears to lie unconscious on their bed.

With the recordings, police were able to track down a majority of the 72 suspects they were seeking.

She and her husband of 50 years had three children. When they retired, the couple left the Paris region to move into a house in Mazan, a small town in Provence.

When police officers called her in for questioning in late 2020, she initially told them her husband was “a great guy,'' according to legal documents. They then showed her some photos. She left her husband and they are now divorced.

Besides Pélicot, 50 other men, aged 26 to 74, are standing trial. Many deny having raped Pélicot, saying they were manipulated by her ex-husband or claiming they believed she was consenting.

FILE - Gisele Pelicot speaks to media as she leaves the Avignon court house, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)

FILE - Gisele Pelicot, left, arrives in the Avignon court house, in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)

FILE - Gisele Pelicot, left, arrives in the Avignon court house, in Avignon, southern France, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File)