The defending AFC South champions are hoping to build on last season's strong finish. Doug Pederson is expecting big things from his Jacksonville Jaguars.
A year ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars dug themselves a 4-8 hole after 12 outings. The team would win the AFC South thanks to a season-ending five-game winning streak.
The catalyst was quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who got hot in the second half of 2022 and propelled the team to its first playoff appearance since 2017. In a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jaguars' head coach Doug Pederson couldn't say enough good things about the two-year signal-caller.
"He's mature above his years. And I'll tell you this, what he went through his rookie season, to really come out of that last year and shine. He doesn't get too high or too low, he stays even-keeled. His emotions are that way…"
Doug Pederson hypes up Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
The first-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft suffered through a rough debut campaign. He started all 17 games and hit on just 59.6 percent of his throws. He totaled 3,641 through the air, good for 12 scores. However, he was tied for the NFL lead with 17 interceptions and lost five of his nine fumbles.
Despite a so-so start this past season, Lawrence was a Pro Bowler in 2022. He improved his completion percentage to 66.3. He finished with 4,113 yards passing, more than doubled his TD tosses (25) and cut his interceptions (8) by more than half. He showed his resiliency in the playoff win over the Chargers, overcoming four first-half picks and rallying the team from a 27-0 deficit for a 31-30 victory. He's had some qualified help along the way.
"Mike McCoy has done a great job of just sort of—because Mike coached Peyton Manning, he coached Philip Rivers, he's coached some Hall of Fame-type quarterbacks" explained Pederson "So being able to pour that knowledge and understanding into Trevor, a young quarterback, has been valuable to Trevor.
"I'll tell you what, he's throwing the ball the best I've seen him in the year and a half I've been with Trevor. And just really, the sky is the limit with this guy. And if we just continue to improve and just really keep those pieces around him healthy, this offense could really take off."
The excitement is growing in Jacksonville, and with good reason considering the team has had a very solid offseason. Will it translate to another playoff appearance?