Story by
'Cutting loose': Trevor Lawrence has bounce back performance, accounts for 4 TDs vs. Titans
- Story by
- 'Cutting loose': Trevor Lawrence has bounce back performance, accounts for 4 TDs vs. Titans
Trevor Lawrence reversed out of the pocket, evading pressure while backpedaling with his eyes scanning the field. Simultaneous to Lawrence breaking his backpedal, Titans lineman Jeffrey Simmons dislodged from his blocker and began pursuing the Jaguars' quarterback.
Lawrence took off in a sprint to the pylon and dove to break the plane, narrowly edging Simmons for a touchdown that opened up a 20-point advantage for Jacksonville.
Advertisement
It was the type of performance the Jacksonville Jaguars hoped to have, defeating the Tennessee Titans 34-14 and advancing to a matchup next week against the Houston Texans that could have large playoff implications.
"That's one of the cleaner games offensively we've played," Lawrence said. "Seemed like we stayed on schedule, seemed like we kept them on their heels. We did a great job of mixing up all the different shots, getting it out quick, movements, all that. It was really good."
Lawrence wrapped up his day with four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) on 24 of 32 completions for 262 yards through the air with 17 yards on the ground. It's a bounce-back game for him from last week's showing where he had a self-described "career-worst" performance.
Advertisement
On Wednesday, he mentioned his mobility felt better from a lingering knee injury suffered during Week 6. It showed Sunday as he eluded pressure from defenders and suffered only one sack in the game.
'Dude's unstoppable': Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley enjoys two-touchdown performance vs. Titans
It's a part of his game that was missing over the last few weeks and something Jacksonville has desperately needed to spark their offense.
"It felt good today to just be able to cut it loose," he said. "It felt good just to go play and let the instincts take over when needed."
Advertisement
'It's about how you perform on Sunday': Lawrence doesn't care about narratives, doubters
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) sprints to the end zone for a touchdown against the Titans in a November game.
Those instincts are an underrated part of Lawrence's style of play. A game like Sunday proves it and cuts down some of the narratives forming from outside of the Jaguars' locker room.
After Nick Bosa talked about ways to limit Lawrence last week, former Jaguars' defensive lineman and current Titans player, Arden Key echoed similar comments this week.
When asked about the narratives forming about him, Lawrence made it clear he doesn't concern himself with outsiders' opinions — even if those opinions are coming from former teammates.
"I'm not thinking about any of that stuff. I could care less what those guys say, to be honest," Lawrence said after the game. "That's really my only response to that. It doesn't matter. If those guys think I'm the best thing in the world, it doesn't matter either.
Advertisement
"I love Arden [Key], former teammate — it hurts that he said that, but no, I don't care. It's about how you perform on Sunday. It's not about what other people say, but if you want to change the narrative, then change the narrative and play better."
While he doesn't care about the narratives, Lawrence understands that the season still has a lot of football to be played. That includes the road matchup against the Texans next weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) greets teammate wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) after he pulled in a Lawrence pass for a touchdown late in the third quarter. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, November 19, 2023. The Jaguars led 13 to 0 at the half and walked away with a 34 to 14 win over the Titans. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
"My main goal is to win, though. We're sitting at 7-3," he said. "We've got to keep this energy and attacking like we did today, every week. We've got to finish this season.
Advertisement
"We have seven games left. A big one next week with Houston, playing really good football. All I care about is winning, so I don't really care what people think I can or can't do."
Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence tallies 4 TDs vs. Tennessee Titans
