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Trevor Lawrence agrees that Jacksonville Jaguars offense was predictable. QB explains why
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- Trevor Lawrence agrees that Jacksonville Jaguars offense was predictable. QB explains why
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence provided some nuance and added context behind owner Shad Khan's postseason declaration of calling the team's offense in 2024 "predictable."
Khan made the comments as partial reasoning for change shortly after firing head coach Doug Pederson in a joint press conference alongside general manager Trent Baalke.
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"Right now, we are the most predictable team on both sides of the ball. Football, to win, deception is a big part of it. Unpredictability. If you know exactly what we're going to do on offense or defense, you'd better have the 22 best players to help us win a football game," Khan said when asked what qualities he desires in the next head coach.
"So, being unpredictable is I think modern football, and we have to be able to show that on the field."
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 15: Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, talks with Trevor Lawrence #16 before the game against the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
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Khan, again, referred to the team's predictability later when asked if he expected the team's turnaround to be quick, noting that the team could be more productive on offense if the scheme was less predictable.
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Jacksonville's offense took a step back in 2024, sullied by injuries, slow starts and a general lack of identity and winning culture. That mindset spread across both major units, with the defense taking a major step back as well.
Pederson mentioned the team's "identity" on multiple occasions this past season, including when the franchise took a 10-day trip to London. The issues were never resolved even up to the team's season finale against the Colts .
Losing can magnify a team's lack of identity and culture, Pederson said in the lead-up to the season finale.
What stood out in 2024, though, was when Pederson questioned the team's culture after their lopsided loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 6 .
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"Nobody's going to say, okay. but we've got to change. I mean, I say we, it's all of us, coaches, players, everybody. We have got to change right now, that culture," Pederson told Jaguars sideline reporter Bucky Brooks shortly after their loss to Chicago.
The culture and identity issues never subsided in Jacksonville, leading to one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Trevor Lawrence details why Jaguars offense appeared 'predictable' in 2024
Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Last week, Lawrence was asked about Khan's message regarding the team's predictability . The starting QB listed multiple factors, including running the ball effectively and injuries as the primary culprits.
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"It's hard to get everything else going when that's struggling, so I think that's where you maybe can see the predictability is when that's not working, and you have to lean on pushing the ball downfield or getting the ball in the perimeter. I think that's where you can kind of see maybe some predictability," Lawrence said regarding the team's lack of a rushing attack for most of the year.
Jacksonville ranked 26th in rushing yards per game (101.7), and 26th in rushing attempts per game (24.4) last season, underscoring Jacksonville's inability to run effectively or at all during games.
Jacksonville gained fewer than 100 yards on the ground nine times in 2024, including four games when Lawrence was the team's starting quarterback.
Jacksonville's featured tailback, Travis Etienne , rushed for a career-low 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games this year. His backup, Tank Bigsby , gained 766 yards and seven touchdowns through 16 games.
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The Jaguars also lost multiple starters due to injuries, including tight end Evan Engram and starting receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis . Engram missed almost the entire first quarter of the season for Jacksonville before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury later in the year. Kirk broke his collarbone in Week 8 and Davis sustained a season-ending knee injury just before the team's bye week.
"You start to piece all those things together and then it is challenging to be unpredictable and efficient and explosive when you're missing a lot of pieces," said Lawrence, adding that at times the team was predictable and it needed to be evaluated in the future with whatever new scheme a coach will bring in.
"I think that that run game piece of setting our guys up for success with the scheme, and then obviously the detailed in coaching and making sure we're all on the same page to where we can run the ball effectively and consistently because I think that's where, you look at the good offenses in the NFL, they all pretty much have that, so we need to be able to do that," said Lawrence.
NFL playoff teams typically have success in run game
Among teams left in the playoffs, only the Kansas City Chiefs , Minnesota Vikings , Los Angeles Rams and the Houston Texans rank lower than ninth in rushing yards per game. The Baltimore Ravens (193.8 rushing yards per game) and the Philadelphia Eagles (178.7) both rank first and second, respectively, in rushing yards per game this year.
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The Rams and the Vikings will play Monday night to determine who will face the Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The Washington Commanders (150.1, third), Detroit Lions (146.4, fifth) and Buffalo Bills (135.6, ninth) round out the group.
Lawrence mentioned his health as one way the team can get back on track and continue to involve star rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
"I think marrying all those things together will help with that, for sure," he said.
Jaguars 2024 offense by the numbers: How did Jacksonville differ from 2023?
Oct 29, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) passes against pressure from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb (55) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Jaguars took a major step back on the offensive side of the ball this year, but how do the numbers match up with last season's?
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Jaguars 2024 offensive rankings comparison.
| Jaguars offense stats (2024) (Ranking) |
Jaguars offense stats (2023)(Ranking) |
|
| Points per game |
18.8 (26th) |
22.2 (14th) |
| Yards per game |
306.2 (25th) |
339.5 (13th) |
| Third-down conversion percentage |
37.25 (22nd) |
38.16 (17th) |
| Redzone scoring pecentage (TDs) |
58% (12th) |
50% (21st) |
| Rushing yards per game |
101.7 (26th) |
96.8 (24th) |
| Passing yards per game |
204.5 (24th) |
242.7 (9th) |
All ranking and totals are found at https://www.teamrankings.com
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Trevor Lawrence also believes Jaguars offense was predictable
