Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ comeback was a win for the present, and the future
With under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter Sunday, Trevor Lawrence dropped into the pocket on a 2nd and 10 play. The second-year quarterback looked in the direction of Christian Kirk, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason acquisition at the wide receiver position, on a four verticals concept.
Dallas Cowboys rookie cornerback DaRon Bland stepped in front of the throw, securing the interception. With the Cowboys leading 24-10, it seemed like Jacksonville’s slim playoff chances would be slipping away from them.
Instead, the Jaguars rallied. Jacksonville pulled off an epic comeback complete with a stunning Pick-Six in overtime to shock the Cowboys, and keep their dreams of not just a playoff spot, but a division title, alive.
How did the comeback begin?
With their quarterback.
Lawrence rallied after the interception, throwing a pair of touchdowns to bring Jacksonville back, and then converting two critical third downs at the end of regulation to put the Jaguars in position for the game-tying field goal.
After that turnover, here was Lawrence’s next passing attempt:
Doug Pederson dials up a boot-action design for Lawrence, with Kirk releasing to the flat out of the slot, Marvin Jones running the crossing route working from left-to-right, and Zay Jones releasing on a stop-and-go vertical route.
The first aspect of this play that stands out? How Lawrence navigates the pressure off the edge. Dante Fowler crashes into the backfield, but the quarterback waits for Fowler to make his move. When the pass rusher dips to the inside, Lawrence extends the play outside the pocket, giving him space, and time, to read the defense and make a throw.
But as he does this, the quarterback keeps his eyes downfield. That allows him to spot Z. Jones breaking open. The receiver has sold Kelvin Joseph on his route, and the stop-and-go gets Joseph to bite downhill. Lawrence unleashes a rocket while on the move, and Z. Jones finished the play for the touchdown.
After Rayshawn Jenkins intercepted Dak Prescott on Dallas’s next possession, Jacksonville was in position to inch even closer to the Cowboys on the scoreboard. But the Jaguars faced a 3rd and goal at the Dallas 10-yard line, and needed another big play from their quarterback.
They got one:
Lawrence connects with M. Jones on the isolated out route for the touchdown, standing in the pocket as it starts to collapse around him. The QB faces two points of pressure on this play, first with DeMarcus Lawrence off the right edge, and then with Micah Parsons off the left side.
Lawrence deals with the pressure from D. Lawrence by stepping up in the pocket, but he does not have the time to evade Parsons. So the quarterback stands tall, making an anticipation throw to M. Jones on the out route knowing full well Parsons is bearing down on him.
Touchdown. Jacksonville now down just three.
After a Dallas punt, the teams traded touchdowns, and with 3:02 remaining the Jaguars took over, down by a score of 34-31. They drove to midfield, and with 1:38 remaining, it looked like Jacksonville was in position to tie the game.
Then, they weren’t:
Lawrence does a tremendous job scrambling away from pressure, and cuts upfield with a big gain. But before he can get to the turf, Jayron Kearse punches the ball out. Parsons recovers, and with 1:28 remaining, Jacksonville is in trouble.
But the Jaguars did have all three timeouts remaining, and they were able to force a Dallas punt. Giving them one last chance to tie the game.
Which they did, with Lawrence making two critical third-down conversions along the way. The first came with just 50 seconds remaining, and Jacksonville facing a 3rd and 10 on their own 29-yard line. Lawrence hangs in the pocket long enough, connecting with Kirk on a deep curl route to the right side to move the chains:
What stands out about this play? The eyes from Lawrence. he is looking at the middle of the field first, and the route from Z. Jones. But then, he brings his eyes to the right to pick up Kirk, and he cranks up the velocity on this throw. The pass is low, but put in a spot where Kirk can make the catch, and the Jaguars can keep their drive alive.
After two short completions, Jacksonville faces a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 49-yard line. Only 12 seconds remain. With one timeout remaining, the Jaguars can work the entire field.
Lawrence is flushed off the right side, and slides to his left to extend the play. As he does, he keeps his eyes trained downfield, which allows him to spot Z. Jones, who has separated from coverage and is open at the Dallas 35-yard line. While sliding to his left, Lawrence is able to get enough on this throw to make the connection:
Burn the last timeout and bring on the field goal team.
Riley Patterson converted from 48 yards out, sending the game to overtime. Jacksonville won, thanks to the Pick-Six from Jenkins, sending the home crowd — and Pederson — into a frenzy.
Now? Jacksonville fans are dreaming about what could be. About a run to the playoffs. About a potential Week 18 matchup at home with the Tennessee Titans flexed to Sunday Night Football to decide the AFC South.
They have hope, not just for the future, but for the present.
Because while Lawrence helped bring the Jaguars back on Sunday against the Cowboys, there is a bigger rebirth playing out. The Jaguars might be making a push for the playoffs in 2022, but with Lawrence developing into the quarterback we thought he was coming out of Clemson, there is hope not just for 2022, but beyond.
There is hope that the Jaguars are back, and are here to stay.
Sunday’s comeback goes beyond just one win against the Dallas Cowboys. It extends to the future of this franchise.
Which is what Jaguars fans were hoping for when the team drafted Lawrence.
