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'I'm not going anywhere': Trevor Lawrence's confidence isn't shaken after up and down year
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- 'I'm not going anywhere': Trevor Lawrence's confidence isn't shaken after up and down year
Trevor Lawrence will still need some time to process Jacksonville 's season-ending 28-20 loss against the Tennessee Titans from last Sunday.
It was a game that saw Lawrence throw two interceptions, which brought his season turnover total to 21, and subsequently, prematurely ended what was once a promising season for the Jaguars .
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On Monday, Lawrence spent time meeting with the media for the final time in the 2023 season.
He told reporters the shoulder sprain he suffered in Week 16 against the Buccaneers wouldn't require offseason surgery. Same goes for the knee injury he picked up against the Colts or the ankle sprain suffered against the Bengals.
Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee.
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In fact, in terms of health, he said everything is "feeling pretty good besides the shoulder," which will only require time to heal and recover during the offseason.
But still, as the book closes on a disappointing and frustrating season for Lawrence, he has a message with his eyes set toward his fourth year in the league.
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"I'm not going anywhere," he said from the locker room of the Miller Electric Center. "I'm gonna keep coming back and we're gonna learn from this and it's gonna make us better."
Lawrence's turnovers an emphasis for him this offseason
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, left, fumbles as he is hit by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Indianapolis. Buckner recovered the fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Lawrence threw 14 interceptions and lost seven fumbles this season. His 21 turnovers were one less than his 22 from his rookie season, and four more than his 17 last season.
His career passing touchdown-to-turnover ratio is 58:60, meaning he's given the ball away more times in three years than he's thrown touchdowns.
It's an admitted area that needs improvement from Lawrence as he goes into the offseason.
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"I got to own my part and I've got to take better care of the ball. That's going to give us a better chance to win a lot of these games," he said.
Some of those turnovers came at untimely situations, preventing Jacksonville from adding points to the board like the red zone interception against the Steelers and ghost fumble against the Ravens.
Some were attributed to Lawrence, but the receiver couldn't reel in a pass that fell to a defender like Evan Engram 's against the Titans.
Or an offensive lineman let a pass rusher get home for a strip sack like what happened at the end of the first half against the Bills.
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Regardless, it's an area Lawrence wants to address after racking up 60 total turnovers through his first three seasons.
"I need to play better. It starts with the quarterback," Lawrence said. "In this league, if the quarterback plays well, it gives you a chance every week. I can do a better job of just being consistently the player I know it can be."
'We have a good team': Lawrence confident in pieces around him, unsure of offseason asks
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) and head coach Doug Pederson look on from the sideline during the first quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
It starts with the quarterback, but it doesn't end there. The talent around Lawrence matters a lot to his success and the greater success of the team.
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After returning a full offensive cast of starters and adding Calvin Ridley to the roster, the expectation was for Jacksonville's offense to take a leap forward.
Instead, the Jaguars clearly regressed, struggling to move the ball consistently and finishing with marks below last year in a majority of offensive categories.
But Lawrence is confident in the pieces around him, saying: "We do believe we have a good team, possibly great team. We have the players to be great and that's what is disappointing; we weren't this year."
Lawrence admitted he has a voice going into the offseason and there are things he feels strongly about. With Travis Etienne , Evan Engram, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones under contract for next year, the biggest question is will Ridley, who's a free agent after this season, be back.
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When asked what Lawrence will use his voice to request this offseason, he was unsure. But it's a safe assumption to think he'll want Ridley back after the wideout led the team in receiving yards (1,106) and touchdowns (8) this year.
"We're going to have a long offseason of hearing about what the Jags are and aren't," Lawrence said. "That's good for us, we need a little bit of that. I don't have the answer for you on what [the request] is.
"I don't think that's my place to say right now. I don't even have the answer."
Lawrence doesn't believe his growth wasn't stunted despite injuries, falling short of playoffs
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) takes to the field before an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-3. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Lawrence addressed his doubters multiple times this season. He did it with a tweet about analysts after a strong performance against the Saints in prime time.
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And again to address former teammate Arden Key after Lawrence had a four-touchdown game against the Titans in Week 11 — winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors behind it.
In his final media session of the season, Lawrence took time to address the critics when asked if he felt like his professional growth was stunted this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) yells after wide receiver Christian Kirk (13), not shown, caught a pass for a touchdown score during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts 37-20.
"Who knows what the narrative is going to be," he said. "I'm sure not good, but I don't really care. It's not really about that for me."
Lawrence finished the season with 4,016 passing yards and 21 touchdowns through 16 games played as he dealt with four separate injuries. As previously mentioned, Jacksonville's offense regressed in 2023, but to Lawrence, he took steps forward in his career.
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For a stretch of the season, Lawrence was playing some of the best ball of his career, arguably.
After Jacksonville's loss to the San Francisco 49ers , Lawrence went on a three-game stretch where he put up 884 passing yards, nine total touchdowns and only one interception while completing 69% of his passes.
But after he was injured during the second half of the Jaguars' Monday Night Football loss against the Cincinnati Bengals he did not look the same for the remainder of the year.
Sep 12, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) talks in the huddle during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Still, Lawrence is committed to continuing his growth in the league and is going to continue that growth going into his fourth season with the Jaguars.
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"People can say what they want, but I do feel like there were some areas of my game I wanted to improve in, and I think I did," he said. "There's some more areas I need to get better on, and I will moving forward.
"For me, it's just going back to work, getting better at what I need to get better at, controlling what I can control."
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: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence: 'I'm not going anywhere'
