Friday, October 18th, 2024

CAN LAWRENCE FIND SEASON-LONG CHARGER MOMENT?

Craig Llewellyn

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CAN LAWRENCE FIND SEASON-LONG CHARGER MOMENT?

Craig Llewellyn NFL

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence has had his fair share of ‘crunch time’ games, where the outcome was decided in the final minute, or even on the final throw, but he needs something more akin to the second half turnaround against the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2023 if the Jaguars’ 2024 season is going to be worth anything.

Lawrence leads his team out against the New England Patriots at Wembley this weekend, looking for only a second win of a disappointing season that sits at 1-5 following the first of their London Games, against Chicago, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend. The game, which ended in a 35-16 blowout, could have been closer had Lawrence’s supporting cast made plays when they had the opportunity, and the Jags now need both a reset and better fortune to come out smiling at the end of the year.

Two seasons ago, and before half-time in the AFC Wild Card game, Lawrence’s Jaguars trailed L.A. 27-0, looking woebegotten and shellshocked after a horror show on offense. Two hours later, however, it was the Chargers slinking off with their tails between their legs as they became the first team to lose a playoff game with a turnover differential of +5 or better. If there was any consolation, Jacksonville’s comeback, while miraculous, was only the third-largest in NFL postseason history, trailing the Indianapolis Colts defeating the Kansas City Chiefs from 28 down in 2014 and the Buffalo Bills overcoming a 32-point Houston Oilers lead in 1993.

The Chargers’ sizeable advantage had been built on five Jaguars turnovers, including four Lawrence interceptions that gifted L.A. short fields and yielded points on five on their first seven drives. After the interval, however, the tables were turned, as the Chargers enjoyed only four offensive drives and added just a field goal to their tally. Crucially, the bounces that went L.A.’s way in the first half went to their opponent in the second, as Lawrence — back then a second-year pro — remembers.

Obviously, that first half couldn’t have started worse, but we were able to respond,” he recalled in conversation with Gridiron. “We scored right before half-time and that gave us a boost. We were settled in and had put together a good drive, scored and got a little bit of momentum back. We knew a couple of things were a little off, and a couple of times the ball bounced the wrong way on plays in the first half, so we knew we were close we just did everything about as bad as we could!

We knew the second half was going to get better, but we knew the defense was going to have to play great and not let them score which they did. Then we had to play perfect on offense and score on every possession. So, we knew what we had to do and, when we got the momentum, that was cool because, for every play we called, we felt like we had an answer. Guys were getting open and running and making plays after the catch. It’s always more fun when it’s all clicking.”

Needing everything to be ‘clicking’ through the remainder of the 2024 campaign, Lawrence remains energised by the fact that he is in the centre of the action, determining outcomes with responsibility on his, still young, shoulders.

I hear a lot of quarterbacks say, ‘I want the game to come down to that’, but I would rather us win the game easier and have a little less stress,” he laughed. “But it does flip a switch in you and you want to compete and make that play to win the game. When it’s on the line, that’s your responsibility as a quarterback. Whatever it takes, whether you win the game by 20 or you’ve got to make the one play to win it, that’s your responsibility. It is cool when you have those opportunities and you take advantage of them. That builds confidence in your team and in yourself moving forwards. I remember the Baltimore game in 2022 [where Jacksonville won on a two-point conversion at the death to go to 4-7] and moving forward from that, we went on a run.”

Although he threw an interception against the Bears last weekend, Lawrence’s ball security has generally improved from that first half against the Chargers, as experience has taught him how to handle the high-pressure moments.

It does still depend on the situation in terms of down and distance,” he explained, when asked about his mindset under pressure. “Sometimes, you have to make riskier throws down the field if you need a chunk at the end of the game. You just have to. If you’re in the red zone, it might be fourth and goal from the two-yard line, then you have to make the best decision. You have to find the right matchup and then recognise if there is pressure. There are so many things that go into it, but I would say it all comes down to the situations.

At the end of the day, you’re the one out there pulling the trigger and you can’t be hesitant, you can’t have that pressure of feeling like, ‘They’re not seeing it how I’m seeing it.’ I give [the coaching staff] credit because they’ve always said, ‘Hey, we’re going to trust you. We’re going to have your back and you pull the trigger and trust what you see’. It lets me play more freely so I can take those shots and be more aggressive when I feel like I have it and I’m going to hit it. You need to have that to be a great quarterback in this league.”

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