Trevor Lawrence on What Stood Out Most About Teammate's Jaguars Debut

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with rookie Brian Thomas Jr. for a touchdown in their Week 1 contest against the Miami Dolphins. In Lawrence's eyes, what stood out about Thomas' debut?

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks on from the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars loss to the Miami Dolphins Week 1 stung. Especially when they scored 17 points in the first half and looked all of the part, everything that owner Shad Khan believed them to be.

"Make no mistake, this is the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever. Best players, best coaches. But most importantly, let's prove it by winning now," Khan had said before the season began.

The Jaguars' inability to close out a hard-fought game against the Dolphins, when they had a 17-7 lead as time dwindled in the third quarter, might be cause for concern to some. Same ol' Jaguars was the sentiment on X (Twitter) after the game.

That might not be true. The Jaguars have plenty of weapons, established and emerging, and a solid (not perfect) defense. Among the young weapons is top draft choice in 2024, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who stood out in his debut with four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Not bad, especially when one considers that the rookie was covered by All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose amazing ball placement accounted for half of a great touchdown connection, had plenty of praise for his young teammate.

"He made some splash plays here and there, but you don't have much to go off of. But just to see how they would cover him, and Jalen [Ramsey]  followed him around a little bit and all that deal," Lawrence told reporters on Wednesday. "Obviously they have a lot of respect for him. Then, especially after that play early in the game, when he ran  the post over the top, did a great job at the line against Jalen. I think they really had even more respect for him after that. Moving forward, it kind of changes how you cover a guy like that the rest of the game when that happens early. So, I think that's only going to help us, his ability. The cool thing about him is no moment’s too big for him.

"He's a gamer and just  shows up ready to play every time he goes out there. That's exciting to see as a  quarterback, just some of the plays he made. Doesn't seem like a rookie at all, has that  quiet confidence about him. Not always quiet -- I saw him talking to Jalen after that play in the end zone was pretty cool. That got us all juiced and amped up just to see that  competitive fire come out. I think that's awesome to see out of anybody, but especially a  young guy like that with the confidence he has."

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