Write-offs come cheap in the offseason, but the Jaguars‘ Trevor Lawrence made sure to flip the script by Week 3.
We’re through September, and every national media outlet is just starting to recognize the actual potential Lawrence has unlocked under Liam Coen. That, or perhaps they were just waiting to confirm that last season’s 13-win season wasn’t a fluke.
His career-best 150.6 passer rating in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns gave them enough material to finally believe.
Just 2 weeks after that, ESPN’s Ben Solak is already using Lawrence’s patience for his comeback as a prime example for young quarterbacks like Cam Ward and Drake Maye, and struggling veterans like Justin Herbert.
All three are struggling the most this season, with their teams slowly starting to get the label of worst teams this season.
Justin Herbert and Drake Maye are What Trevor Lawrence was in 2024
Solak explains how it’s just the system not working out for them that is leading to the early-season disasters. It was the same for Lawrence under Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson. He only found his rhythm after Liam Con stepped into the head coaching role last season.
“I would argue that quarterbacks coded like Lawrence, Herbert and Maye — more willing to trust their arm, test coverage, put all of their chips on one big bet — are more obviously affected by circumstance than the more cautious quarterbacks,” Solak explains.
“Perhaps it’s not play style but pigheadedness. Herbert, Maye, Lawrence … they’re all stubborn. They don’t adjust their internal clock as quickly as other quarterbacks do. They don’t hasten to get the ball to the checkdown when their downfield receivers are losing and accordingly minimize yards after catch.
“Risk management is a legitimate skill for quarterbacks — one that Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have learned well over their ascension into elite quarterback status. They started their careers as flamethrowers and have learned (to varying degrees) how to play more methodical ball. Maybe Maye and Herbert will learn that lesson this season, and when they do, their play will suddenly improve. Remember, development is not linear.”
While Mahomes and Allen might be prime examples, Lawrence is the latest and most relevant to their current situation.
Solak Suggests Herbert and Maye Panic is Standard September Overreaction
“Let me give you a counterexample to Herbert and Maye: Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars quarterback is a helpful analog to Maye and Herbert because the three are quite similar stylistically. All have big frames and prefer to stay in the pocket to make aggressive throws.”
“Lawrence is a fire-breathing dragon right now. He shoots from the hip, ripping his first read into tight coverage windows with the arm arrogance of Brett Favre,” Solak continues. “This is not a commentary on who is better. It’s about how they play.
Call it Coen building the perfect support system around him or Lawrence just learning from his previous mistakes when everyone was questioning their team as one of the worst in the league, he’s becoming a serious MVP candidate.
It’s not his playstyle that has changed. It’s his effectiveness.
That said, the NFL will always find their next quarterback to target. It was Lawrence in 2024. Maye and Herbert in 2026, and it would be someone else in 2027.
“Let’s all take a collective breath and remember not to etch conclusions in September stone.”
ESPN Sends Promising Reality Check to Struggling QBs via Trevor Lawrence