Trevor Lawrence Shines in Jaguars' 37-34 Victory, Overcomes Sideline Drama to Secure Win

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) ended a frustrating nine-game losing streak on Sunday, edging out the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 to claim their first win of the season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, celebrating his 25th birthday, delivered his best performance of the year, leading the Jaguars on an eight-play, game-winning drive that set up a Cam Little 49-yard field goal to clinch the victory.

The former Clemson standout and Jacksonville's 2021 No. 1 overall pick, was in top form, completing 28 of 34 passes for 371 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He completed all three of his passes to put the Jaguars in position for the game-winner. It was a much-needed bounce-back game for Lawrence, who had struggled this season, throwing just four touchdowns while completing only 53% of his passes through four games.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was asked what changed for Lawrence.

"Trevor’s the same guy every day, honestly," Pederson told the media in his post-game interview. "Honestly, I didn’t really see anything other than him working through some of the issues that we’ve had the first month of the season. And, listen, Trevor’s a professional. He’s our guy, and we continue to help him and support him, and do everything we can for him. I think he just has to understand that we’re going to do that, right? And as quarterback, you just go out and do your job. And he did that today. So, I think it was just a great effort by everybody.

"But to me, Trevor was the same guy he’s always been.”

Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million extension with Jacksonville in June, including $200 million in guaranteed money and $142 million fully guaranteed at signing.

A hefty contract brings greater expectations, especially for Lawrence, labeled a generational quarterback since his prep days at Cartersville High (GA). 

So does the win lift any weight off Lawrence’s shoulders?

"I think there’s a weight off everybody’s shoulders, not just Trevor’s," said Pederson, whose job security has been a topic of conversation since the losing streak. "It’s a weight off my shoulders too. Now, you guys can get off my tail for at least a week." 

The Jaguars' victory wasn’t without drama. In the first quarter, tensions flared when Lawrence and wide receiver Gabe Davis were seen in a heated exchange on the sidelines. Lawrence, visibly frustrated, slammed an iPad down before teammates stepped in to de-escalate the situation.

"I sat it down, firmly," he said with a smile about the iPad incident. "That happens in this game. People that have played it, know. People that haven't probably don't really understand all the emotions that go into it."

He explained the interaction with Davis, saying, "There was some frustration and we had a little back-and-forth and cleared it up. That's all it is. Stuff like that's important. And I love when stuff like that happens. You confront issues, and if I'm pissed about something – he's pissed about something – let's talk about it and move on. We did a great job of that. Gabe's always good at communicating. So, we got on the same page quick, and it was good."

Jacksonville managed to run off to a 14-point lead despite the sideline spat but it was erased. They surrendered 17 points in the fourth quarter, continuing a troubling trend of struggling to close out games. But this time, Lawrence and the offense came through when it mattered most.

“You play 60 minutes,” Lawrence said. “It’s cool when that all clicks and it pays off, and you get a chance to win a game like that. But it’s just one game. We can’t flip out over one game, but we’re going to celebrate because we’ve been working hard, and it’s big for us. We’re going to use it to propel us.”

The Jags will be in London to play Chicago on Sunday, and they'll stay there to face New England on Oct. 20.