So … naming a stadium after Trevor Lawrence may have been a little premature

When airports, streets or buildings are named after a person, it’s usually because of a long history of accomplishments. Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars were trying to manifest their greatness by temporarily renaming their stadium after Trevor Lawrence over the weekend, but it was a decision destined to be ridiculed. There were few smiles at TrEverBank Stadium on Sunday (it wasn’t the first time the Jags have done so). Lawrence’s strange attempt at rebranding) like a neglected Jacksonville They fell to the Cleveland Browns by 18-13They are now in trouble at 0-2.

“We’re playing really bad right now,” Lawrence said (correctly) during his postgame press conference, referencing his offense. “I’ve got to play better. I’m the leader of the offense. It’s up to me. The wide receivers have to play better. The line has to play better. The running backs have to play better. The coaching staff has to be better.”

Lawrence is right to blame others, but it really all starts with the coaching staff. Head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor called for such a loose game plan that Lawrence finished the first half with 16 passing yards. Give credit to the Browns’ stifling defense, but 16 passing yards in a half for a Lawrence-led team with his array of weapons shouldn’t be possible.

Related: Brave play: Packers quarterback Malik Willis refuses to pass the ball after teammate vomits on him

The mistakes were there from start to finish. It took Pederson and Press ages to get Lawrence to make plays. And twice, Pederson, who should be much more organized as a veteran coach, had to burn a timeout to avoid delaying the game. Jacksonville also lost 10 seconds when they were called for an illegal change with 48 seconds left at their own 33-yard line. That left them with a first-and-15 from their own 39-yard line.

It’s not that Lawrence has been great this season. In the first two weeks of the new campaign, Lawrence has had too many mistakes for someone who was once labeled a “generational talent.” The first overall pick in the 2021 draft had his moments against the Browns, including a 66-yard pass to Brian Thomas That led to Jacksonville’s only touchdown, and a career-long 33-yard run on third-and-long that led to a field goal. And he avoided fumbles despite poor pass protection. He finished the day with 220 passing yards, but completed only 14 of his 30 pass attempts, most of them short distances, was sacked four times, one of them a safety, and lost for the seventh time in eight games.

The flashes of potential greatness are there — if anything, they make his stumbles all the more frustrating — but his career has consisted of flashes rather than long stretches of outstanding play for far too long. In Lawrence’s first three NFL seasons, he ranked 28th, 17th and 17th in QBR among qualified quarterbacks. Those numbers would pass the smell test for some NFL franchises, and a postseason run in 2022 was a nice accomplishment for a historically terrible franchise. But Lawrence was anointed the next Andrew Luck. The next Peyton Manning. Lawrence was supposed to be one of the league’s breakout players. Instead, he’s been … okay.

Jacksonville demonstrated its continued confidence in Lawrence in June when they gave him a five-year extension for $275 millionBut the Jags failed to surround their quarterback with the protection he so desperately needed, instead investing more in defense. A key addition, free agent center Mitch Morse, has been mediocre, as evidenced by his role in the Security that ensures the game for the Browns.

Despite the inherent gifts Lawrence possesses — his ability to let loose quickly and his leadership — they are not enough to transform a franchise into a perennial contender on their own, as we have seen with players like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. They are certainly not enough to merit changing the franchise’s name.

MVP of the week

Kyler Murray, quarterback, Arizona Cardinals. Speaking of former No. 1 draft picks who lived up to their potential… Murray was sensational in Arizona’s 41-10 thrashing of the Los Angeles RamsMuray poured in points for his style, throwing three touchdowns, passing for 266 yards and rushing for 59 yards. He answered the calls of fantasy owners for Marvin Harrison Jr. and connected with the rookie receiver for two long touchdowns.

But it was Murray’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Higgins after escaping from pressure On a third and five that captured the attention on an electrifying afternoon which saw him record a perfect passer rating.

Statistics of the week

Six. The New Orleans Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives in a 44-19 thrashing of DallasDerek Carr and Alvin Kamara gave a lesson in how to run Klint Kubiak’s crafty offense. Carr’s deep passes were a thing of beauty, including a 70-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed. Kamara dominated the outside run, ran his screens and found the end zone four times. The Saints’ offensive line gave Carr plenty of time. Last week’s 40-plus point performance came with a bit of skepticism given it was against the lowly Carolina Panthers. But now that the Saints have torn apart Micah Parsons and the Cowboys’ defense, they should be taken seriously as an early contender.

As for Dallas, their red zone problems continued and Dak Prescott had two interceptions. They were simply outplayed and outmaneuvered.

Video of the week

Will Levis is begging for a Stupid Game of the Week category. Until then, you’ll just have to enjoy his latest failure in this space.

You’d think Levis would have learned his lesson after throwing the game-losing interception against Chicago from his knees in Week 1, but alas.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said what we were all thinking.

Elsewhere in the league

• There are losses that come with regularity. And then there are painful, frustrating losses that will linger. Like when the Cincinnati Bengals nearly beat the Kansas City Chiefs on the road before losing the game to stupid penalties and mistakes. The latest flag was a 29-yard pass interference call on Bengals safety Daijahn Anthony in the final minute to set up Harrison Butker’s 51-yard game-winner in a league game. which ended 26-25Joe Burrow, who outplayed Mahomes, was furious for much of the second half and in the game’s aftermath. Burrow had to restrain Ja’Marr Chase after he confronted a referee for a foul call and was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Bengals also missed an extra point in a game decided by the slimmest of margins. It was another Bengals-Chiefs classic, and Cincy would love to have it again.

• To say this was Sam Darnold’s revenge game may be an understatement, but he had to be smiling after… a surprise 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ershis last former team. Darnold shined mostly in an efficient outing, completing 17 of 26 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Darnold Dot 97-yard pass to Justin Jefferson set the tone for the game. But it was Brian Flores’ stifling defense that frustrated the defending NFC champions.

• Too bad for poor Justin Skule, who had the unenviable task of trying to contain the Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson on Sunday. Skule’s Bucs won the war 20-16 But Hutchinson won the battles hands down, finishing the game with 4.5 sacks. Sunday also marked Hutchinson’s fourth straight game with a sack, matching the longest streak by a Lions player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Baker Mayfield had another gutsy performance, and Tampa is now 2-0.

• Sometimes a QB forgets to throw the ball on third down for fear of losing field position or throwing an interception under pressure. But Packers quarterback Malik Willis added a new excuse. He turned the word over to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur: “I asked Malik why he didn’t throw the ball on that third down, he told me Josh threw up on the ball.” The Josh in question is center Josh Myers, and for those who enjoy vomit-related puns, Packers Social Media It’s the place to be.

• After his highly publicized television show The debut was a failureTom Brady returned to the broadcast booth for the Saints’ rout of the Cowboys. In his first outing, Brady was a cliché-filled mess. His nerves leaked through the screen and his cadence was off. But within a week, Brady turned it all around. There were still plenty of clichés and stumbles, but Brady also offered real insight, with Fox allowing him to lean into his comfort zone: football nerd. He came across as confident, comfortable and at times even seemed to be having fun. He may never eclipse Greg Olsen as the best Fox has to offer (his chemistry with co-commentator Kevin Burkhardt is still lacking), but it’s typical of the competitive maniac Brady to deliver his best performance after having a dud the week before.