Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence has 'different type of focus' during win streak

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen credits Trevor Lawrence’s hot streak to his preparation.

Coen explained to reporters that Lawrence is performing well against the blitz due to the extra work he’s doing in the lead-up to games.

Whether it’s extra film study with Coen, offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and quarterbacks coach Spencer Whipple, or work that he’s doing on his own with teammates, the proof is clearly in the pudding in Lawrence’s play of late.

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“I feel like our alignment, how we see the game, and what we’re expecting to get out of certain plays. Just how I’m seeing it, we’re very aligned,” Lawrence said of Coen. “That’s gotten better and better as the season has gone on.”

Lawrence said he and Coen spend a lot of time together throughout the week, using it to go over scenarios and get on the same page. But it doesn’t stop there.

Lawrence regularly communicates with teammates and even conducts separate walkthroughs with them outside of regular practice. It’s a direct correlation to his current play.

“It’s a different type of focus and you can see that. You can see it in his play as well,” wide receiver Dyami Brown said. “He sees things a whole lot differently and I think it kind of built more confidence.”

Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence embraces using his legs, is having career-season on the ground

Lawrence has thrown for 3,752 yards through 16 games with 26 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’s also added 348 rushing yards with nine touchdowns on the ground.

His play has helped the Jaguars to seven consecutive wins. An eighth win would secure the AFC South title and would allow the Jaguars to host a home playoff game.

A large part of the success of the offense is Lawrence embracing his ability to pick up yards with his legs because he isn’t forcing plays.

“You go through your progression and get it to the open guy and make it happen through the air. Sometimes you can get a little boxed into that,” he said. “I do feel like I’ve gotten some more freedom of being able to be creative.”

But even beyond his creativity and freedom, Lawrence has overcome a string of tough injury luck.

He dove out of bounds at the end of a scramble against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2023 season, causing him to suffer a shoulder injury on the play that nagged him through the remainder of the season.

Last season, Lawrence suffered two separate injuries that affected his on-field availability. Obviously, there was the illegal hit he received from Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that put him in a multi-week concussion protocol.

Then there was the hit he took against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. He missed two games before eventually having in-season surgery to repair his AC joint on his non-throwing surgery.

He was sidelined and unable to throw for a large portion of the offseason, finally practicing without any restrictions by the time training camp began.

So to come this far as a rusher is an accomplishment in itself.

“Really just feeling the freedom to create what I need to but not overdo it,” he said. “I think there’s a balance in that and I feel pretty comfortable right now.”

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Liam Coen are 'aligned' during win streak

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