Trevor Lawrence: Jaguars have faith, motivation for 2023 season
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence ’s remark earlier than the 2021 NFL draft that he didn’t have a chip on his shoulder created a stir with some questioning if he had what it took to be an elite participant.
His tough rookie season modified that. Whereas that — in addition to the “bust” speak — could not have resulted in a full-blown chip, however Lawrence mentioned it did give him one thing to show. And his teammates, as properly.
“You type of hear that each one season, all offseason and clearly there’s plenty of issues you could’t management, however … it places slightly little bit of a chip in your shoulder,” Lawrence mentioned in a cellphone interview with ESPN. “That is how we performed the entire [2022] season, our entire staff, and we perceive that we by no means actually received the respect till in all probability until the final recreation of the season. Till we gained that playoff recreation.
“So I believe all of us performed with that, with that edge slightly bit. That was one thing that was good for me, good for us. And I believe it helped inspire us.”
The Jaguars’ rally from a 2-6 report to win the AFC South title and victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild-card recreation after falling behind 27-0 have been the excessive factors of the 2022 season.
However, the 27-20 loss to eventual Tremendous Bowl Champion Kansas Metropolis in a divisional playoff is their motivation for the 2023 season.
“We received slightly style of it and we have been shut, however everyone knows there’s extra on the market and all of us wish to be in [the Super Bowl] and that is the final word aim,” Lawrence mentioned. “This time final yr that was actually laborious to image and picture, however now going by means of what we did this season, having a few of the success we did, having a playoff win, taking part in Kansas Metropolis all the way down to the top and having a shot and simply not making sufficient performs, we all know what that seems like and we all know we belong.”
Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun hadn’t made the playoffs in his first 4 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, so whereas he did recognize the postseason expertise he’s additionally upset as a result of he doesn’t really feel just like the Chiefs are a considerably superior staff.
“To be proper there with a contender, I really feel like we didn’t play our cleanest soccer,” Oluokun mentioned. “There we have been, seven factors down on the finish of the sport. Let’s do what we have to do early within the season so we could be taking part in our greatest soccer that late within the season.
“Going into the offseason and coming into coaching camp, we aren’t accepting mediocrity from this staff anymore. That is for positive. We all know what we’re able to. Groups are going to be prepared for us. They know we’re pressure too, and we now have to play higher than they’re anticipating.”
The Jaguars turned the ball over twice – together with as soon as contained in the Kansas Metropolis 10-yard line – and receiver Christian Kirk dropped a deep move that may have put the Jaguars contained in the purple zone within the playoff loss. The Jaguars couldn’t capitalize on three turnovers and blew a protection that resulted in a straightforward landing throw in a loss to the Chiefs earlier within the season.
The Jaguars misplaced each video games by seven factors and imagine they might have gained each had they not performed so sloppily.
“They perceive how good they are often,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson mentioned. “A number of the identical ugly errors that confirmed up in [the playoff loss] have been the issues that confirmed up early within the season. These are the issues we now have to remove. These are the issues we now have to maneuver on from with the intention to win towards nice soccer groups just like the Chiefs are.”
“I believe they’re disenchanted in that greater than something and simply arising slightly quick.”
Operating again Travis Etienne Jr. mentioned the day after the playoff loss that it was laborious to look again over the season as a result of he was depressed that it had ended so abruptly. Watching the opposite playoff video games was painful for him, too.
Each of these issues are what he’s going to recollect when the offseason conditioning program begins – and he hopes his teammates do, too.
“I really feel like I’ve received to channel that emotion,” Etienne mentioned. “Guys need to channel that emotion and each time we get to that state of affairs subsequent yr we’ll simply strategy it completely completely different.”
