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Key decision from Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence helps pick up win over Texans
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- Key decision from Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence helps pick up win over Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence fired a catchable pass to Parker Washington on first down.
He dropped it.
Lawrence tried to hit running back Travis Etienne on the second down as he came out of the backfield.
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He dropped it.
On third down, Lawrence fired another pass to Washington — attempting to get a big chunk of yards in one go.
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But instead of finding Washington he found Texans safety Jalen Pitre for his fourth interception of the season.
It was a play where Lawrence pressed to make the right play and ended up making a worse one. The Texans scored on the very next play, connecting on a 50-yard strike from CJ Stroud to Nico Collins .
But Lawrence kept his head and the Jaguars (2-1) survived a scare from the Texans (0-3) to gain an early advantage in the AFC South race.
Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen reacts to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) interceptions pass during the fourth quarter between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday September 21, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
"The timing and rhythm, some of the stuff wasn't there early," head coach Liam Coen said when asked about Lawrence overcoming some of the offensive struggles. "Then, when it is there, we're not catching it. Then you start to force it a little bit, specifically that third down interception, probably a force."
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Lawrence finished the game completing 20-of-40 pass attempts for 222 yards with the interception and no touchdowns.
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The Jaguars dropped six passes in the win with two of them coming on the drive that Lawrence threw the interception. It was a potentially crucial turnover during the fourth quarter as the Jaguars tried to stave off the visitors.
However, Lawrence's response wasn't that of pointing fingers or beating himself up. He went back on the field and delivered when Jacksonville's defense gave the offense one final chance late in the game.
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Trevor Lawrence shows resilience to overcome fourth quarter interception
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) greets Houston Texans quarterback CJ. Stroud (7) mid-field after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
With the game tied at 10-10, Lawrence checked out of a run play to dial up a 46-yard strike to Brian Thomas Jr. across the middle of the field, leading to the game-sealing touchdown.
Lawrence recognized Houston was bringing pressure and immediately audibled to a play that'd have positive results. It was a clear example of his progression in Liam Coen's system.
"They had a cover zero pressure that we were able to see, identify, and get to the right play and Brian just did a great job of winning and making the play," Lawrence said after the game. "That's what I told him on the sideline. 'Hey, stay in it, you're going to end up making the play to set this one up for us to go win it.' And it happened."
It would've been easy for Lawrence to lose focus. The Jaguars had a mediocre output on offense and it wasn't just the drops, either.
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They weren't able to run the ball as effectively as they had in previous games and struggled to convert third downs. The Jaguars finished 4-of-15 on third down conversions and 0-for-1 on fourth down conversions.
They finished with 308 total yards—a season low through three games.
"It was a very frustrating outing in a lot of ways," Coen said. "But I'm hoping and we're hopeful that a moment like (the win) can maybe do this for us and help us go to the next level in terms of understanding truly what it takes to throw and catch at a consistent level."
Lawrence echoed those thoughts after the game, crediting his teammates for staying focused despite some of the struggles on offense.
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"I didn't play my best today so there's a lot of throws that I want back, or I didn't put in the spot I wanted to," he said. "It was good to see us not let that dictate how we were going to finish the game and just find a way to make a couple of plays at the end when it mattered."
Lawrence and the Jaguars will head west next week to play the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth game of the season.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence makes heads up play to beat Texans
