There’s certainly some feistiness with the Jacksonville Jaguars these days. And there’s still respect for underperforming quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But with new head coach Liam Coen in the house, these Jaguars are different after their 3-1 start and win over the 49ers.
The Jaguars have risen to the challenge defensively. They have forced 13 turnovers. That’s the most by the Jaguars through four games in this century, according to The Athletic.
“Their +45.2 EPA off those turnovers ranks second to Pittsburgh (+45.4) this season, per TruMedia,” Mike Sando wrote.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen getting things done
The 26-21 victory was a product of both sides of the football, according to ESPN.
“It was a complete game for us,” said Lawrence, who threw for 174 yards and one touchdown. “Offensively, obviously, there’s a lot more out there that we can do. That’s the great thing about it. We’re finding ways to win. And we still feel like we can grow a lot as an offense.”
Still, there is an issue about what will happen with Lawrence in the long term.
“The QB is on pace to challenge career worsts in completion rate (58.3 percent), yards per attempt (5.9), passer rating (75.9), interception rate (2.8 percent) and EPA per pass attempt (-0.01),” Sando wrote.
But the good news is the Jaguars are off to a 3-1 start. And that gives extra time for Lawrence to find his way.
However, rest assured that the Jaguars can’t be for real unless Lawrence settles in as at least a slightly above-average quarterback.
Certainly, the Jaguars' run game will open a door for him to improve. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan noticed the difference, according to Sports Illustrated.
“I know we didn't get any sacks and stuff, but I thought their main thing was they ran the ball,” Shanahan said. “They got some explosives in the run game, especially, I think they got a 50-yarder, something like that. So I think that is tough to generate pass rush when they're dependent on the run like that. It looked like they had way too many quick throws that I thought we needed to be more competitive on. The quarterback got the ball out of his hands fast. When you do that, there's not many opportunities for sacks.”
Coen said he believes Lawrence is making progress, according to ESPN.
“In some ways [he's playing better than the stats indicate], for sure,” Coen said. “It's hard when, okay, you may miss a few throws, and then when you do make some, we don't catch them. That's frustrating for sure.
“So, you look at it statistically then, yeah, it should probably be higher than a 50% completion percentage [against Houston], and then there's some throws that he needs to make, and he knows that. It's not a negative, it's just, ‘Hey man, we've got to make these throws,' and how can we help you, from a footwork standpoint or an accuracy standpoint, some of those things.”
Lawrence said he’s growing and learning under the tutelage of Coen.
“I feel really good operating [the offense],” Lawrence said. “I think every week it's growing a little bit more and more. [And] I think I'm seeing it really clearly. I feel like when I step on the field on Sundays, I have a really great grasp of what we're doing. What we're trying to get done, what I'm looking for, all my keys that I'm locked into.
“I think I'm seeing everything great. I think I just got to eliminate some of the bad plays. Obviously, I've had one or two a game that are hurting us as far as turnovers go, so I got to find a way to eliminate those.”
Beating the 49ers was an important step for the Jaguars. San Francisco entered with a record of 3-0, but the Jaguars made the plays to win the game.
Still, the upcoming schedule is challenging. The revitalized Chiefs are up next, but the Jaguars will be at home. Then they get the Seahawks and Rams at home before hitting the road for four of their next five games.
It doesn’t hurt the Jaguars that their division is winnable. The Texans are off to a bad start, and the Titans are terrible. That leaves the Colts as the main competition. And who knows how long the Daniel Jones resurgence will last for the Colts?
