Trevor Lawrence has arrived

[notthatbluestuff]

NFL Winners and Losers: This is not a drill, Trevor Lawrence has arrived as a star

Quote

The Dallas Cowboys are perfectly capable of winning a Super Bowl. If they don't have the best defense in the league, it's on a short list.

Yet on Sunday, the Cowboys had no clue what to do with Trevor Lawrence.

When it looked like the Cowboys finally got the one play they needed, they had to feel like they escaped. Lawrence had the ball knocked loose at the end of a nice run and the Cowboys recovered the fumble with a three-point lead and less than two minutes to go in regulation. Then Dallas' offense couldn't get a first down. When the Cowboys punted, it felt inevitable that Lawrence would drive the Jacksonville Jaguars down for at least a tie.

That's what great quarterbacks do; they put fear into any defense, even the good ones. Lawrence's laser pass in between the arms of Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson found Zay Jones for enough yards to get the Jaguars into field-goal range, and Riley Patterson hit a 48-yarder to tie it as time expired in regulation.

Rayshawn Jenkins returned an interception to the end zone for the 40-34 Jaguars walk-off win in overtime.

Sunday's win was a huge moment for Lawrence. It was a look at where the Jaguars franchise is heading. It's probably a big moment for the league as a whole, officially ushering in a new superstar quarterback behind the velvet rope.

Jenkins provided the final highlight, but this win was about Lawrence. There's no doubting him anymore. Ask the Cowboys' defense. He completed 27 of 42 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Even if the Jaguars don't make the playoffs this season — and don't count them out of catching the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South crown, especially after the Titans' loss in the late games on Sunday — it shouldn't be too long before Lawrence and the Jaguars take over the division.

There have been signs for Lawrence becoming a mega-star this season. There was the comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, then another great game against the Titans last week. There was also some trepidation. Lawrence has looked very good for brief stretches, and then followed it up with a dud.

It's time to stop worrying. Lawrence has arrived. He looks like he could be every bit the player he was touted to be coming out of Clemson as the first overall draft pick last year. Lawrence shredded the Cowboys on Sunday.

Lawrence wasn't great last season, but he also was playing for Urban Meyer, the NFL's worst coach in decades. Everything was a mulligan for Jacksonville last season.

Still, Lawrence didn't have a Dak Prescott/Joe Burrow/Justin Herbert immediate impact as a rookie. His second season started with some ups and downs. At some point, Lawrence had to make the throws. Meyer wasn't around to blame anymore.

If you watched the Cowboys game, there shouldn't be a lingering question about where Lawrence's career is headed. He made all the throws. He looked spectacular against an elite team with a fantastic defense. And it wasn't just one game. In the six games prior to Sunday, Lawrence had 1,362 yards, 10 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 111.7 passer rating. Then he had his big moment against the Cowboys to validate that hot streak.

The NFL needs star quarterbacks. The 2021 draft class has struggled to live up to the hype, and that included Lawrence until recently. As it turns out, all those personnel men and draft experts were right about Lawrence after all. Before his second season is over, he looks like a surefire star. He looks like a future MVP.

If Lawrence backslides after this, it will be disappointing. Not that he won't have any more bad games, but the concerns about him should be behind us. Lawrence is one of the best quarterbacks in football already. If you aren't buying that yet, watch Sunday's game again.

 

[Daniel]

4 hours ago, bucksavage1 said:

Herbert’s OC is holding back their offense. Lombardi might be the worst OC in the NFL 

You spelled Downing wrong.

[bucksavage1]

58 minutes ago, Daniel said:

You spelled Downing wrong.

I know how bad Downing is from his time with the Raiders. He’s very awful but at least his as personnel excuse.

Lombardi has arguably a top 3 offense talent in the NFL and he’s held them back. Anthony Lynn/Shane Steichen  had LA more potent with Rookie Herbert.

Whats more surprising is how Lombardi and Downing found their ways to be OC’s again after their 1st gigs failed horribly. The NFL has a coaching fraternity issue

[Daniel]

Just now, bucksavage1 said:

I know how bad Downing is from his time with the Raiders. He’s very awful but at least his as personnel excuse.

Lombardi has arguably a top 3 offense talent in the NFL and he’s held them back. Anthony Lynn/Shane Steichen  had LA more potent with Rookie Herbert.

Whats more surprising is how Lombardi and Downing found their ways to be OC’s again after their 1st gigs failed horribly. The NFL has a coaching fraternity issue

See, I think that whole narrative is overblown.  I think it appears as though he has a personnel excuse because his awful, awful play design and feel for the game just makes all the players look worse.  Most of the personnel from last year's number 1 seed team are still around.

I mean, the Titans are tied with a bunch of teams for third fewest turnovers, have the No. 2 rusher in the NFL, and (this is an old stat, so I'll be vague) a higher than average YPP passing offense, and yet still have the league's 29th overall offense.

The Titans are also 26th in PPG, while the Chargers are 14th.  That's a big difference.

[ET80]

10 hours ago, Deadpulse said:

If you're a losing or mediocre team charging a min $200 that seems like gauging to me

Which is why I don’t go to Texans games anymore.

[JaguarCrazy2832]

13 hours ago, DigInBoys said:

The Raiders built an expensive new practice facility too. In Oakland. A few years before they moved.

The stadium is what matters.

I'm sorry but using the Raiders as an example is...interesting. They cant even afford to fire their coach when they wanted to

[ramssuperbowl99]

8 hours ago, Thelonebillsfan said:

I do think it can't be stated enough too that like.

Doug Pederson is an elite head coach. 

The guy won a freaking SB, was making the playoffs with Carson Wentz at the height of his bitchiness, like, just because things broke a certain way in Philly through some of his own fault, some not, we really forgot just how good of a coach he is. He basically had to completely alter the culture of this franchise and do it in like 6 months and he has done that and then some. 

Urban Meyer is about 6 months from starting to leak how he's been involved in Lawrence's development by the way.

Jags fans better get ready for that.

[.Buzz]

9 hours ago, Nabbs4u said:

While I agree with most of this (not Elite), it's also a testament to just how poorly the Urban Myer Fiasco/debacle truly was.

Literally anyone worth thier salt would of been an improvement.  Let alone a HC with a SB ring to his resume and supposed QB whisper from the Andy Reid tree.

Best thing that ever happened to Trevor's career. Let alone the culture change of the entire organization. 

I’m not sure there’s many coaches I’d take over Doug for what this specific organization needed. We’ll see what he can do if this team becomes an established AFC contender and it can be revisited, but his leadership and offensive prowess for this organization is exactly what was needed. 
 

The offensive staff he built (hello Press) has got the most out of this crew too. Career years for Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, most Jaguars fans are pounding the table for a long term deal for Evan Engram. Breath of fresh air.

[Charles]

1 hour ago, ramssuperbowl99 said:

Urban Meyer is about 6 months from starting to leak how he's been involved in Lawrence's development by the way.

Jags fans better get ready for that.

Technically,  he wouldn't be wrong.  Trevor has never had to deal with adversity through his college years, and one knock on him was whether or not he had the passion for football that great qbs usually have.  I think the adversity he went through his first season will prove to have been beneficial to him fir providing a chip on his shoulder.   So yeah...thanks Urban.

[ramssuperbowl99]

1 minute ago, Charles said:

Technically,  he wouldn't be wrong.  Trevor has never had to deal with adversity through his college years, and one knock on him was whether or not he had the passion for football that great qbs usually have.  I think the adversity he went through his first season will prove to have been beneficial to him fir providing a chip on his shoulder.   So yeah...thanks Urban.

I'll save this energy for my Father's Day card lol.

[Mox]

Hopefully the Jags can get him another weapon this offseason. Really nice leap from year 1 to year 2.

[fluhartz]

I am actually impressed with Trevor and the Jags O.. If they could play the cowboys defense every week.. lol 

Seriously though, I think they are for sure going in the right direction.

[.Buzz]

2 minutes ago, fluhartz said:

I am actually impressed with Trevor and the Jags O.. If they could play the cowboys defense every week.. lol 

Seriously though, I think they are for sure going in the right direction.

I would rather not have to see Parsons again:

 

[fluhartz]

Just now, .Buzz said:

I would rather not have to see Parsons again:

 

fair enough.. 40 points though.. Cowboys suck, but Parsons is a beast. 

[Thelonebillsfan]

If Calvin Ridley is like 85% of who he wwas in Atlanta they're gonna be fuuuuuuuuun next year.