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They’ve been playing NFL football for 106 years, and no one, not even Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson or Roger Stback, has accomplished what Trevor Lawrence did this past weekend.
Let’s do the math. Going back to Papa Bear’s origins, the league began in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) and has played some 88 million games, with varying degrees of variation.
But no player has ever passed for 300 yards and five TDs, and also rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown in the same game. If I remember correctly, it was against the New York Jets. But it’s still important.
No, this doesn’t mean the hot Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback is a “generational talent” suitable for cloning.
Generational. That’s what they called Lawrence, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson, but well, that explanation didn’t work. It turned out to be the epitome of the prolific overhype for Lawrence, who, like any other human quarterback, continued to take in so many lumps on his NFL learning curve.
If there’s a word that fits right now, call him “hot.” Lawrence, 26, is playing the best soccer of his professional career. Over the past three games, the lanky 6-6 pitcher has thrown nine touchdowns and gone three consecutive games without a turnover for the first time. He also recorded a triple-digit passer rating in three consecutive games for the first time.
Of course, Lawrence is not alone. The Jaguars (10-4) entered Denver on a five-game winning streak, winning 10 games for the first time since 2017. Trevor and company have scored at least 25 points in seven straight games while the defense leads the league in points allowed and has generated more takeaways than any team other than the pesky Chicago Bears.
And they are in first place in the AFC South. Who knew?
When I visited the Jaguars during training camp, dynamic new coach Liam Cohen (who served as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator for just one season before some guy (Shad Khan, Tony Boselli) lured him away and handed him the keys) stood on the practice field and demonstrated to me some of the key mechanics of his agenda for Lawrence. It’s all about footwork, torque, and motion. I remember thinking, “At least this guy will get his point across.”
“He’s very intentional in the way he talks to the staff, the players and the whole team,” Lawrence, who was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, said at Wednesday’s press fest. “You can see that he’s very directional. He knows what he wants to say, the message he wants to convey, there’s no gray area.
“And I talked about the way he expresses himself and the passion. And you can feel that coming off of him. And I think that’s something that men really grab onto. It makes men want to chase him because they can see that.”
Clearly something is at work. In the case of Lawrence, who previously worked with Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson, the connection to Cohen is becoming increasingly apparent, as are the nuances of game management at the line of scrimmage.
“I think he’s more comfortable with it and I think we’re able to attack people a little bit differently than we probably did in the early days,” Cohen said.
“I feel like we’re looking really good…everybody’s making plays, we’re trusting each other and it’s been a lot of fun, so we should keep it going,” Lawrence said.
This milestone game was another example of Lawrence’s growth. Lawrence will face perhaps his toughest test yet Sunday at Empower Field as he prepares to make his 75th NFL start. What a reward after such a banner performance. The Broncos lead the NFL with 58 sacks, on pace to threaten the NFL record set by the great 1985 Bears (72 sacks). This emphasizes how much of a hunted person Lawrence is in the noise and altitude of the Mile High City.
However, Jacksonville has won consecutive games without allowing a sack, and this season they are in the NFL High Five without a sack.
That protection is also about to be put to a major litmus test.
“It’s not just the front group, it’s the entire defense at every level,” Lawrence said of Denver’s unit.
Lawrence hasn’t played much meaningful football this stretch since coming to the NFL. Although he won a playoff game in his second year under coach Pederson, the Jaguars finished 4-13 last year. His rookie year record was 3 wins and 14 losses.
The Jaguars are in a three-way battle with the Texans (9-5) and Colts (8-6), with a chance to win the division title on the horizon. Meanwhile, the Broncos (12-2) are on an NFL-record 11-game winning streak and are aiming for the AFC West crown and the No. 1 seed.
“Yeah, it’s a big game,” Lawrence said. “When you put yourself in a position like we did and obviously like the Broncos… every game matters at the end of the year. That’s where you want to be.”
If he survives in Denver, perhaps another word will apply to Lawrence: street cred.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow X: @JarrettBell.
