The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into a Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers they need to win. Early in the season, the Jags appeared to be not only a lock for the playoffs, but a serious contender to upset the Indianapolis Colts and win the AFC South.
Flash forward a few weeks, and Jacksonville seems to be in turmoil. Most recently, it lost in humiliating fashion to the Houston Texans, shortly after they barely escaped Las Vegas with a win over the Raiders, in overtime no less... and all while the Raiders continue to be one of the worst teams in the league.
A major issue the Jaguars have been facing is on the offense; quarterback Trevor Lawrence has failed to take off this season, and his supporting cast — from the offensive line to receivers dropping every ball they get — is performing miserably. Yet head coach Liam Coen is still pushing for Lawrence to be bold and let it rip this weekend.
The Jacksonville Jaguars want Trevor Lawrence to let it fly against the Chargers
Despite his recent struggles, Liam Coen said he still has confidence in his quarterback and is giving him a lot of encouragement heading into this important game. After the brutal Texans loss, the first-year head coach said he wanted to make sure Lawrence wasn't beating himself up over any potential mistakes.
Lawrence was later asked about Coen's remarks, and it seems he has taken them to heart.
"We've had some great conversations just throughout the season, just checking in week to week, whether you know it's coming off a win, loss, whatever every week, we really kind of checked in and just talked," Lawrence said (1:18 mark). "And I think that was something that we talked a lot about this week and over the last couple of days, of just going out there and cutting it loose and feel a little bit more freedom, to let some things go, to take some shots.
Lawrence continued, "And I think that's the balance of playing quarterback, right? The balance of aggressiveness, of when to take the shot, when to take completions, when to protect the ball."
Later in the exchange, Lawrence acknowledged that there were times he could have been better with his timing or thrown more aggressively, and that he needs to make sure he isn't losing trust in himself, all while understanding the areas he needs to improve.
"I know that Liam's got my back, the whole team, the whole offense has my back," he said. "And just going out there and playing free."
It's worth noting that the Chargers have a very good defense this season, though they have had some struggles on the offense. However, there are some things Lawrence needs to remember when he takes on this defense, because, as good as they are, there are still some weaknesses to be exploited.
The defense has, throughout this season, struggled to stop explosive plays, meaning Coen's advice to let it rip is especially timely. And that needs to be something we see more of on Sunday, with Lawrence especially leaning on Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers for said explosive plays.
It's also important to remember that there is precedent for Lawrence putting it together and leading the team to a winning streak and AFC South championship in the second half of the season; that's exactly what he did in 2022.
It's now or never, and yes, Trevor Lawrence is facing a lot of difficulties around him right now, but he's been able to overcome all of that before. It's time for him to do it again.