After the Jaguars lost to the Broncos in Week Eight, one of the leading talking points around the team was the need for quarterback Trevor Lawrence to play better.
The Jaguars got what they wanted against the Raiders on Sunday. Lawrence went 15-of-16 for 133 yards and a touchdown in the second half as the Jaguars went from down 10 points to winning 24-20.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that “it takes games like this for young players to really understand” what they need to do in the NFL and that Lawrence showed the kind of progress that the team is looking for.
“I thought he played solid,” Pederson said, via the team’s website. “He played within himself. He really managed the offense, the situations, made some tough throws, got out of some tough throws, got out of some sack situations, ran hard. [He] just took a step in the right direction. That’s all you can ask from your quarterback.”
The Jaguars may not be able to turn their rough start to the season into a playoff berth, but more days like Sunday for Lawrence will be the kind of building block the Jaguars have been looking for all season.