Last month, we asked if Trevor Lawrence had arrived.
The answer, we can confidently say, is yes!
Over the last six games, Lawrence has 1,680 yards, 14 touchdowns, one interception and has helped his team go 4-2. According to rbsdm.com, Lawrence has performed alongside Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts among the NFL’s best and most valuable quarterbacks.
Let’s dive into the film and see what has changed from the first half of the 2022 season to the second half!
Confidence is key!
Confidence brings consistency.
Here is what coach Doug Pederson had to say when asked about Lawrence’s consistency, “If the defense allows a touchdown, the offense is like, ‘Hey, we got to go score.’ It’s the complementary aspect of the game, but for Trevor, as the leader, guys really like how he’s playing and how he’s leading, his toughness, and that goes a long way with the guys in the locker room.”
The one thing Lawrence has been able to do is hit his receivers when running key plays that are designed to target his guys open.
Against the Dallas Cowboys, Lawrence saw a lot of man coverage in key situations. It was the third quarter, and the Jaguars were on the wrong side of a 17-point deficit.
When the Jaguars motioned the running back out wide, the defense was forced to shift matching up the WLB Anthony Barr against Christian Kirk who was in the slot. With only one safety over the top, a switch to get Kirk to the sideline was critical.
The Jaguars end up with a field goal on this drive, and once they get the ball back in the fourth quarter, only down by three, they see a similar opportunity.
The Cowboys still only one a single high safety against the Jaguars spread formation. Even though the matchup against Kirk is a little more even with nickelback DaRon Bland lined up in the slot, the concept is still effective.
Get to the outside.
It’s important for the Jaguars to get one of their best players in open space attacking a weak spot in the defense.
This is where Lawrence showed consistency, being able to deliver a similar ball when the time was right.
Now when facing zone defenses, Lawrence’s confidence and anticipation has also grown. Earlier in the season he was waiting for his receivers to turn around before making his throws. Which led to sacks, pass breakups and/or contested catches.
Last week, it was second and long, and in order to cut the yardage to convert in half, he threw the short curl route to Evan Engram who was in the middle of the field.
Even though the coverage looked like ‘man’, Lawrence was able to notice it and get the ball out quickly.
Currently Lawrence is averaging a 2.57 second time to throw average, which is the ninth-fastest in the league. The longer quarterbacks hold onto the ball, the more time left for defensive linemen to make a play.
Adjusting to the defense.
Lawrence deserves a lot of credit for how he has been moving within the pocket. He’s showing incredible poise while going through his reads, and also when moving out in space.
Earlier in the season, when Lawrence saw something that he didn’t like, he would try and just use his legs to get out of that situation. Now, he is constantly moving his feet while keeping his eyes downfield.
Last Sunday, even with Micah Parsons breathing down his neck, Lawrence was able to pull the ball back and fire it over to a wide open Zay Jones for a touchdown.
Finishing strong!
Lawrence looks like a completely different player when watching him in his first eight games from his last eight games. It’s great to see a player really gain the confidence without the coach making any drastic changes.
Early on in the season, Lawrence went 14/19 for 78 yards on RPO plays. Which isn’t much. Half of those 14 completions were screens.
So, in the second half of the season, instead of forcing the slant routes that are often paired with RPO reads, they let Lawrence throw what he does best, and the receivers run what they do best. From week eight, Lawrence went 9/10 on RPO passes for 62 yards with now -22 air yards, and all nine of those completions were screens.
So, the overall gameplan hasn’t really changed, just small adjustments tailored to Lawrence’s and the offenses strengths.
It’s not often that you get a 6-foot-6 quarterback with his athleticism outside the pocket. They started letting him loose and look how his confidence changed from the Philadelphia Eagles game in week four, to the Tennessee Titans game played in week 14.
He went from trying to make a play with his legs, to trusting his arm.
Here is what Pederson had to say when asked what has changed from October to December, “I just think we’re just learning each and every week. Learning from our mistakes, learning the positives. We’re not coaching any differently. Maybe running some similar concepts offensively and defensively that we did earlier in the season where guys have time on task. We’re just growing as a football team and the more time we spend together, the tighter you become. I think the more you overcome some of the adverse situations, it’s just part of the growth process of where we’ve come from and what we’ve learned from it.”
Lawrence has gone from starting strong, to finishing strong.
Can Trevor Lawrence lead the @Jaguars to a playoff berth? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/UcTejRhYbH
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) December 19, 2022
It’s safe to say that Lawrence has arrived! It’s great to see him paired with a quarterbacks coach and offensive mind like Doug Pederson who can help him grow and utilize his natural skillsets.
The Jaguars are now on the fence of the playoffs and the Thursday Night Football game against the Titans will now determine the AFC South.
No matter what happens, Lawrence has put himself firmly into the high-level quarterback conversation.
