Trevor Lawrence is coming off a bounce-back season in his first campaign under coach Liam Coen, finishing fifth in MVP voting and fourth on the Comeback Player of the Year ballot.
In Year 2, Coen sees a chance for the former No. 1 overall pick to hit a higher ceiling.
During a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Jags coach said before he was hired last year, he could see from the tape that Lawrence was a “tough” QB with upside, but after a year with the passer, he sees a chance to reach new heights.
“Look, four new systems, multiple different head coach situations, OCs, whatever it is. Go throughout the season, and you find out, I mean, doesn’t miss a single practice, doesn’t miss a single throw in practice, played the whole season. Obviously, MVP finalist, Comeback Player of the Year finalist, did some great things,” Coen said. “There is so much room to continue to improve.”
Lawrence finished the season with 4,007 yards passing with 29 TDs and 12 INTs, leading the Jags to an AFC South title. The QB got off to a wobbly start, but he and the Jags hit their stride midway through Coen’s first season, winning seven straight games to complete the division comeback. Lawrence threw for 250-plus yards in each of the final four regular-season games and had 11 passing TDs to one INT over that stretch.
In the Jags’ Wild Card loss to the Bills, Lawrence had a few rough spots, including two game-altering interceptions, but also battled Jacksonville back when previous clubs would have drifted into the abyss. His two fourth-quarter touchdowns gave Jacksonville brief leads they couldn’t hold against Josh Allen. While Lawrence & Co. fell short against an MVP quarterback, that ability to battle has Coen excited for what could be ahead as the QB continues to develop in the system.
“I think that’s what we’re excited about attacking, but when you start with A) humility and B) toughness, mentally and physically, I think you can do a lot with a quarterback,” he said. “We spent a lot of time in San Francisco at the Super Bowl going through that week, and I got to see a different side of him, hang out with him in a different lens, and I’m really excited about working with Trevor again this year.”
There is little doubt at this point that Coen can coax excellent play from the quarterback position. We’ve seen quarterbacks need to find the right system to excel. Oftentimes, that takes them bouncing around the league – i.e., Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold. In Lawrence’s case, the right offense came to him. If the QB can continue to build on his improvements and protect the ball as he did during the Jags stretch run, there is a lot to like about Jacksonville’s future.
Leave a Reply