Two weeks is too early for an NFL obituary. It is not too early to notice which problems keep showing up. This Florida NFL player analysis starts with three quarterbacks who enter Sunday carrying very different burdens: Malik Willis needs sustained offense, Baker Mayfield needs touchdowns, and Trevor Lawrence needs to prove Jacksonville’s fourth-quarter disappearance in Denver was a bad afternoon rather than a warning.
The broader damage from Florida’s 0-3 Sunday is already clear in our Florida NFL Week 2 recap. The more interesting question now is individual responsibility. Quarterbacks always get dragged to the front of the courtroom, but Willis, Mayfield and Lawrence did not create the same problems — and they should not be judged by the same standard.
Florida NFL Player Analysis Starts With Three Different Problems
Willis is starting for an 0-2 Miami team that has scored 13 points in both games. Mayfield is quarterbacking another 0-2 team despite Tampa Bay getting legitimate production from Bucky Irving. Lawrence, meanwhile, is 1-1 and owns the best season statistics of the three, yet Jacksonville’s offense produced just 56 yards on its final three possessions in Denver.
That is why the pressure meter needs context:
| Player | Team | 2026 Snapshot | Week 3 Pressure Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Willis | Dolphins | 417 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | Sustain drives vs. Kansas City |
| Baker Mayfield | Buccaneers | 398 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT | Finish red-zone possessions |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jaguars | 434 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT | Close games when momentum turns |
| De’Von Achane | Dolphins | 110 rushing yards | Give Miami offensive stability |
| Bucky Irving | Buccaneers | 134 rushing yards, 5.4 YPC | Keep carrying the offense |
| Parker Washington | Jaguars | 181 receiving yards | Demand a larger weekly role |
The headline numbers point in different directions. The pressure does too.
Malik Willis Needs Drives, Not Just Efficient Moments
Willis’ Week 2 line was respectable: 14-of-23 for 197 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. His 103.0 passer rating was his fourth rating above 100 in eight career starts. Miami also finally found an explosive pass when Willis hit Ryan Miller for a 77-yard touchdown. Willis’ Week 2 numbers
And yet Miami scored 13 points.
That’s the disconnect.
A quarterback can play without committing catastrophic mistakes and still fail to control a football game. Willis now has 417 passing yards through two starts, but Miami has taken nine sacks and has struggled to convert long possessions into touchdowns. His next assignment is Kansas City at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins don’t need Willis pretending to be Patrick Mahomes. They need him turning 12-play drives into seven points instead of three.
De’Von Achane remains the obvious safety valve. He handled a career-high 17 touches in the first half against San Francisco and has 110 rushing yards plus 49 receiving yards through two games. The offense should continue flowing through him.
Pressure level: rising, but manageable.
Baker Mayfield Has to Reward Bucky Irving
Tampa Bay’s problem is almost more annoying because the running game is working.
Bucky Irving has rushed for 134 yards on 25 attempts — 5.4 yards per carry — while adding 49 receiving yards. He handled 21 touches against Cleveland and produced 90 yards from scrimmage. That is starting-running-back production, not a problem requiring emergency repairs.
Mayfield has to make those yards matter.
He has completed 71% of his passes this season, but Tampa Bay is 0-2 with just one Mayfield touchdown pass. The Buccaneers have also allowed seven sacks and carry a minus-four turnover differential into Minnesota.
The more revealing concern is the red zone. Tampa moved the football against Cleveland and still needed four Chase McLaughlin field goals.
You cannot keep asking your kicker to rescue drives and then act surprised when fourth quarters become coin flips.
Mayfield practiced fully Wednesday despite dealing with an illness, and Tampa Bay’s Week 3 matchup notes confirm the Bucs are trying to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2014.
Pressure level: significant.
Trevor Lawrence Faces the Most Interesting Test
Lawrence’s season statistics look excellent: 35-of-52 passing, 434 yards, four touchdowns, one interception and a 110.6 rating.
That’s why Jacksonville’s 20-13 loss in Denver was so irritating.
The Jaguars led 13-3. Then the offense effectively went missing.
Lawrence threw for 189 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, while Jacksonville generated only 56 yards across its final three drives. Liam Coen has already described a clear sense of urgency around correcting it. Jacksonville’s offensive urgency
Lawrence doesn’t need a statistical rescue game against New England. He needs a finishing game.
The good news? Parker Washington is making the receiving hierarchy more interesting. Washington has 12 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown through two games, including seven receptions for 98 yards in Denver.
That production deserves more than polite acknowledgment.
Jacksonville has Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter and other options, but Washington is earning targets rather than borrowing them.
Pressure level: highest expectations, lowest panic.
The Supporting Players May Decide the Quarterback Stories
The quarterbacks will dominate Monday morning’s conversation. Their supporting casts may decide whether those conversations are pleasant.
Three things matter most:
- Achane must keep Miami out of obvious passing situations and give Willis manageable downs against Kansas City.
- Irving’s efficiency needs to become touchdowns; Tampa cannot waste five-plus yards per carry with red-zone field goals.
- Washington’s emergence should give Lawrence another trustworthy option when Jacksonville’s offense stalls late.
Those are exactly the kinds of individual developments worth following through Florida’s player performance coverage.
Week 3 Can Change All Three Narratives
September pressure can become ridiculous quickly. One win turns “crisis” into “adjustment.” One loss turns concern into a four-day referendum on everybody’s job.
The useful Florida NFL player analysis is therefore not about declaring Willis, Mayfield or Lawrence good or bad after two games.
Willis must prove efficiency can become scoring. Mayfield must turn Irving’s productive rushing into finished drives. Lawrence must show Jacksonville can close after taking control.
Different quarterbacks. Different expectations. Different problems.
By Sunday evening, at least one of those stories should look very different.