Doug Pederson: ‘There’s got to be patience’ with Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence started his season with six touchdowns and only one interception in his first three games. Then he was responsible for seven turnovers in the team’s back-to-back losses.

“There’s got to be patience with that,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said of the 23-year-old passer’s development. “We can’t wait too long, but at the same time, it’s our job as coaches to make sure that he’s improving every week. Pointing out the good and the bad. That’s just how you grow and how you learn.

“We always said three years, that’s the benchmark. But, I don’t think you have three years. You got to get your players ready to go now, but there has to be some improvement.”

Lawrence finished his rookie season in 2021 with 12 touchdowns and an NFL-most 17 interceptions.

While his stats have jumped in year two, the Jaguars are out to a 2-3 start despite most metrics saying they are playing like a top 10 team. Lawrence’s 68.1 passer rating and 53.6 completion percentage in the team’s three losses are perhaps the biggest reason why the team has left wins on the table.

“Trevor’s young, he’s learning this game, and one thing I appreciate about Trevor is his work ethic and how hard he wants to improve and get better and help this team win,” Pederson said. “I also want him to understand that he doesn’t have to do it himself. There are 10 other guys out there and the coaches to put him in a position to be successful.”

Part of that help from the coaches could come in the form of an effective rushing attack. The Jaguars opted to run the ball 19 times during a rainy day in Philadelphia while Lawrence dropped back to pass 27 times. In a 13-6 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5, Lawrence attempted 47 passes while running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne had just 10 carries each.