Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence Finds Comfort in Tempo

Former Clemson star quarterback Trevor Lawrence saw an uptick in numbers and comfort running the Jacksonville Jaguars offense last week against the Atlanta Falcons.

Trevor Lawrence hasn't looked very comfortable in the Jacksonville Jaguars offense for much of the 2021 season.

Last Sunday, though, was an exception for the rookie quarterback from Clemson. Head coach Urban Meyer decided up the tempo and have his players pick up the pace. It led to Lawrence's highest passing numbers in a month. 

He threw for 228 yards and one touchdown but also rushed for a career-high 39 yards in the Jaguars' 21-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. But it's progress. 

"Tempo was good for us last week," Lawrence said to the NFL Media on Wednesday. "It felt good. I thought that got us in rhythm. The last few weeks, we've kind of been a little stagnant offensively. We've had a few good possessions here and there, but it's not as consistent as we want to be."

Meyer said the Jags changed the tempo 18 times against the Falcons, and it'll continue to be a part of the offense moving forward. They'll take any offensive improvement and spark they can get right now.

Jacksonville, which is 2-9 overall, ranks 23rd in the NFL in total offense and 31st in points per game. Lawrence hasn't thrown for 300 yards in a game since Oct. 17, which is also the last time the offense scored in the 20s. 

"I really felt like last week was the first game in a couple of weeks where we really got in a flow and it felt good," said Lawrence, who's completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,369 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. "I think tempo helped that."

The reason he's finding comfort in pace is that it's something he's used to. Clemson would run tempo at times, and Lawrence looked good running it then. 

He knows in the NFL that it can't be used constantly, but Jacksonville is learning what the first pick in the NFL draft does well as the season goes along. Case in point, the Jaguars are finally using more run-pass options, something Lawrence thrived in with the Tigers. 

"That's something I've always done," Lawrence said. "It's always been part of my game. As I've gotten more and more comfortable with the offense, and as it's adapted, I feel like it's something we've done well all year. We've made a lot of forward progress there. There are obviously other things we have to work on, but I think we're moving in the right direction."The Jaguars currently hold the third-best odds of finishing the season with the worst record in the NFL according to FanDuel.