Louis Riddick: Jaguars Are 'Going to Explode' in 2023

Trevor Lawrence and Doug Pederson give the Jaguars plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have special expectations entering 2023.

After a magical late-season run that led to a playoff win and a close losing effort vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, people aren't looking at the Jaguars as a surprise team anymore. The Jaguars have already done that. 

Now, the Jaguars are a team that ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive back Louis Riddick says are ready to explode and climb the NFL's food chain. 

“When we went over to London last year when they played Denver and did their game for ESPN+, I talked extensively with Doug Pederson about Trevor Lawrence’s maturation as a quarterback and how he had to almost be rehabilitated and kind of had to be infused with confidence after the struggle he had as a rookie — not just on the field, but dealing with his confidence and the way he’s coached and the way he was supported and not supported,” Riddick said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. 

“He was basically the adult in the organization in his rookie year, which is unfair for him."

Lawrence improved by leaps and bounds after a full season under Pederson's tutelage. After a rookie season where Lawrence had to put more things on his shoulders than most rookie quarterbacks, Lawrence was able to break through in 2022. And it is because of that breakthrough that the Jaguars are expected to contend not just in 2023, but for years to come. 

In 17 starts in 2022, Lawrence completed 387 of 584 passes for 4,113 yards and 25 TDs. His 387 completions were the most in a single season in franchise history and his five rushing TDs were tied with Garrard for the most in single-season franchise history.

Lawrence joined Burrow and Allen as the only players in the NFL with 25-plus passing TDs and at least five rushing TDs. Against the Titans in Week 14, Lawrence set a career-high with 368 yards passing and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.

The second-year quarterback totaled four 300-yard passing games and orchestrated three comebacks of 17-plus points, including a comeback from behind 27-0 in the postseason against the Chargers.

Last year, Lawrence ranked top-8 in DYAR, DVOA, effective yards, interception %, ANY/A, Sack %, and success rate, while also finishing top-10 in EPA/Play and CPOE.

“You can see as the season went on, leading up to the way he played in the postseason, how this guy was just making huge strides week after week with his maturation and how he was starting to play like that guy who they said was a can’t-miss guy," Riddick said. 

"Year two in Doug’s system, what do you think is going to happen with this dude now that he has the best route runner in the NFL in Calvin Ridley, all these tight ends, a young, up-and-coming offensive line that is a little (rough) on the edges but will get better and these runnings backs, what do you think is going to happen with this football team? They’re going to explode.”