Jacksonville Jaguars QB, Trevor Lawrence
Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
Trevor Lawrence was imperious as the Jacksonville Jaguars blew away the New England Patriots at the EverBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The two AFC rivals both went into the match in Florida with a record of 1-1. A tight contest was expected, but it was the home side who romped to victory as they won 35-6.
Lawrence, who is considered one of the frontrunners for the MVP award, threw for three touchdowns in his side's resounding victory. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards and added 25 yards on the ground as the Jaguars improved to 2-1.
Lawrence's Actions During Match Scrutinised
Trevor Lawrence
Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
Lawrence had a golden opportunity to record his first rushing touchdown of the 2026 season midway through the fourth quarter.
With his Jaguars side leading 28-6, the 26-year-old found a gap in the Patriots' defence and looked as if he would stroll into the end zone with ease. However, just as he was going to cross the goal line, Lawrence decided to kneel.
A play later, Bhayshul Tuten rumbled into the end zone to score his second touchdown of the campaign.
Lawrence's actions sparked major confusion online, with one NFL fan writing on X: "Trevor Lawrence taking a knee at the 1 yd line only up 22 with 9 mins left is objectively the strangest thing I’ve seen on a football field in my 36 years of life. There is no scenario that makes sense."
Trevor Lawrence Explains His Thought Process
Lawrence explained why he kneeled after the match. He said: "I tried to put together a good drive and it was a four-minute thought. We got down there, so when I broke through and no one tackled me...
"It's something we talk about all the time, potentially in those situations, going down and keeping the clock running. That was too much time. I looked at the clock after and saw that there was still eight minutes left. So it was probably unnecessary there.
"But I'm just trying to use as much time as possible, they used a time out after that. Trying to give them as few chances as possible to get back in the game.
"But if you do the analytics, people will probably be all over it online, I'm sure. Probably wasn't the best decision, but we scored the next play, so it's whatever. Gave Bhayshul a touchdown, so it's cool. Let him get in the end zone."
He added: "Everybody's just kind of making fun of me. So yeah, maybe overthought that one just a little bit."
Lawrence and the Jaguars return to action next Sunday when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.