After the sector aim went by means of, after the concept of the third-largest comeback in postseason historical past turned actual, Trevor Lawrence wheeled round in circles along with his head leaned ahead, operating towards his Jaguars teammates like a baby who lastly received clearance to affix buddies at recess.
This second of celebration, this expression, this aura, this vibe, this smile, would have appeared exceptional had it not been plastered throughout his face for nearly everything of the night time. Sure, Lawrence appeared displeased with every of the 4 interceptions he threw within the first half. He would pucker up his lips into that unusual, Peyton Manning–like smile-frown that all of us do after sprucing off a bag of Sour Patch Kids. After the third one, he appeared on the video board as if it’d include some type of basics-of-quarterbacking PowerPoint that he might make the most of for the second half.
But, he additionally saved strolling again to the sideline like he owned the place, like having to slog by means of quarterbacking hell and spot one of the perfect opposing quarterbacks, finest pass-rushing tandems and costliest secondaries within the league 27 factors have been all half of the plan. And, amid a season the place gamers gave the impression to be higher than ever at sniffing out sham confidence, sham character and sham expertise in their very own quarterbacks, nobody appeared to blink. His teammates trusted him. Plenty of followers did not flip off their televisions. Somehow, everybody knew this was a minimum of attainable. Somehow, Lawrence had everybody roped in collectively.
Lawrence is right here to remain, marking a fast turnaround from a disastrous rookie season below Urban Meyer.
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We can name Saturday, and Jacksonville’s 31–30 wild-card win over the Chargers, the night time Lawrence arrived within the NFL. And, just like the self-help guru says, it necessitated a visit by means of the worst of all of it. Take your decide of the platitudes. It’s all the time darkest earlier than daybreak or, like John Wooden mentioned, issues work out finest for individuals who make the perfect out of the way in which issues work out. Lawrence turned the primary participant in fashionable NFL playoff historical past to throw three picks in a single quarter. He was the primary to throw 4 in a playoff half since Brett Favre in 2001. He was additionally rattling close to good within the second half. The Jaguars turned the primary workforce in NFL historical past to win a playoff sport through which they have been minus-five in turnover margin and simply the twenty ninth workforce to do it … ever.
The comeback—from down 27–0 within the first half, and down 30–14 late within the third quarter and nonetheless down 10 factors when taking over the ball with 8:47 to play—says so much about Lawrence but it surely additionally says so much a few franchise that was equally, collectively, backed into the worst attainable scenario merely somewhat greater than a 12 months in the past. Had it not been for his or her proprietor mercifully keen to do what billionaires virtually by no means do—admitting a mistake, admitting, in some oblique method, that he was conned, duped, deceived, lied to and, in that course of, setting a promising younger franchise on a voyage sure for the closest iceberg—we could presently be speaking about what the Jaguars would do with the No. 1 decide within the 2023 draft. We could also be speaking about needing to airlift into Duval and rescue Lawrence ourselves. We could also be speaking about Urban Meyer kicking a number of gamers (gasp). It’s unusual to suppose—to know—that this quarterback, this workforce, this type of promise and this (statistically) unbelievable run of six straight wins, and 7 of eight, that started with a 10-point loss to the Chiefs in Week 10 existed someplace within the DNA of a workforce that went 3–14 a 12 months in the past.
It’s even stranger that the Jaguars managed to artfully restrict their time within the post-Meyer soccer abyss. From teaching dunce to swaggering genius. From wasted expertise to limitless potential. Jacksonville’s second half was a sort of inventive interpretation of that.
The Jaguars’ season will come full circle in so much of methods subsequent weekend in Arrowhead (ought to the closely favored Bills and Bengals each win) the place, in the identical locker room earlier than Thanksgiving, coach Doug Pederson predicted all of this may occur. But it actually does not matter. The Jaguars might get waxed by Patrick Mahomes once more however they nonetheless fulfilled their contribution to the soccer zeitgeist in 2022. They confirmed us the ability of admitting our largest errors. They confirmed us how helpful it is to maintain swinging (or, in Lawrence’s case, greater than a stabbing, particularly on the essential two-point conversion attempt within the fourth quarter). They confirmed us what occurs while you let soccer gamers be younger and enjoyable, whipping out the rattling T-formation on a essential fourth-and-1 as if the Jaguars have been going through off towards Air Force; as if the Jaguars have been in a yard someplace and never about to make NFL historical past.
For the franchise, this second was as large and vital as breaking floor in Northern Florida within the first place. A ho-hum 24–13 victory over the Chargers would not have match the invoice. Some defensive trudge, like the sport final Saturday night time towards the Titans that lifted them into the playoffs to start with, would not have carried the right symbolism.
Several instances of their principally unsuccessful run as a franchise, the Jaguars have sprung to life earlier than flatlining once more. But 2021 was the worst of it. The 12 months that preceded this one ought to have cemented them as a laughingstock soccer outpost for a decade. And as an alternative, by means of all of it, Lawrence got here out smiling. There is nothing extra helpful.
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