And now the Jacksonville Jaguars are taking a new approach on and off the field. Specifically, they’d like to improve quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s performance this season. Each week, head coach Liam Coen leads the check-in with Lawrence. In each of these practice sessions, they work on their own performance, game plan for the next match, and recognizing the changes that are going to be necessary to meet those challenges. Validation for instinct This new directive comes as a welcome reminder to trust your gut and take smart risks.
While in these scenes, Coen pushes Lawrence to get the ball out of his hands faster, and don’t think just go play instinctively. The coach’s mantra is clear: “You don’t need to be Michael Jordan,” reinforcing that Lawrence should focus on facilitating the game rather than overthinking his decisions. This strategy looks to be working wonders with Lawrence, who has recently been called “locked in” during post-game recaps.
In their most recent match, the squad was finally able to let loose and play a freer brand of soccer. Lawrence and his teammates truly let the dogs out! Most importantly, the freedom that they showed to play was something that’s been an evident emphasis in the Coen coaching philosophy. He instructed his players to embrace this mindset: “Let’s go out and cut it loose for four quarters, as a team, and see what happens.”
Lawrence’s stats so far this season are indicative of a battle to find his footing. He’s answered questions about his accuracy, as he’s hit on 59.8% of his passes for 2,151 yards. Through the first nine games he compiled 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions, replicating his output through that stretch in 2022. Over the last third of the season, Lawrence put it all together, completing 68.5% of his passes. He threw 14 touchdowns and two interceptions, showcasing a much higher level of efficiency.
Despite the challenges this season, including injuries to key receivers like Hunter, Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington, Lawrence delivered an impressive performance two weeks ago. He passed for 368 yards, leading the Jaguars to a statement win over Tennessee by 31 points. This victory represented the squad’s first victory at that venue since 2013. On top of that, he engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history against Dallas, overcoming a 17-point deficit to win in overtime.
Coen’s leadership has been instrumental over this transitional period for Lawrence. More than focusing on the little things, though, he feels being present in the moment is the key to quarterback success. “Let’s just go cut it loose, man. I don’t want to imagine what might happen…just play in the present tense,” Coen would often say during their development conversations. This mentality is all about taking the pressure off of Lawrence and allowing him to play loose and really cut it loose.
Teammate Travis Etienne Jr. raved about Lawrence’s recent performances. As he put it, “He was just playing free, just playing for the love of the game. This attitude echoes Coen’s exhortation for Lawrence to function as a convener instead of being weighed down by pressures.
Lawrence himself was honest about the struggles experienced all season long. “I feel like at times this year offensively we’ve just struggled to get in a rhythm and stay in a rhythm,” he said. Still, he sounded hopeful about adopting Coen’s philosophy going forward.
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