(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most improved teams in the league last season, which was far from a surprise.
Their short tenure under Urban Meyer was one of the most infamous in recent league history, and bringing in a Super Bowl-winning coach like Doug Pederson helped sweep that under the rug right away.
They finished the season strong, rallied in the second half of the campaign, and even managed to win the division.
That’s why ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes people should look out for Trevor Lawrence in his second year under Pederson, especially considering what he just did in the playoffs, via First Take on Twitter.
.@stephenasmith thinks Trevor Lawrence will make the biggest QB leap this season
“I’m telling you right now, Trevor Lawrence is coming” pic.twitter.com/N611QzWnuX
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 1, 2023
Smith raved about Lawrence’s character and resiliency to overcome a 27-0 deficit in his first payoff game, especially after throwing four interceptions in the first half alone.
He talked about how spectacular he was in that second half vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, rallying and putting his team on his back to live for another day and keep moving forward in the playoffs.
Notably, Lawrence’s physical traits and football IQ have always been remarkable, and he took a major leap forward under Pederson, who also played the position.
The Jaguars will bring their whole core back and also have another weapon in Calvin Ridley, not to mention a team-friendly schedule.
They might be the team to beat in the AFC South even if Lawrence doesn’t take another step forward, which seems unlikely after the way he started to dominate last season.
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