JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence ’s remark earlier than the 2021 NFL draft that he didn’t have a chip on his shoulder created a stir with some questioning if he had what it took to be an elite participant.
His tough rookie season modified that. Whereas that — in addition to the “bust” discuss — might not have resulted in a full-blown chip, however Lawrence stated it did give him one thing to show. And his teammates, as effectively.
“You sort of hear that every one season, all offseason and clearly there’s numerous issues you can’t management, however … it places a bit little bit of a chip in your shoulder,” Lawrence stated in a cellphone interview with ESPN. “That is how we performed the entire [2022] season, our entire staff, and we perceive that we by no means actually bought the respect till most likely until the final sport of the season. Till we received that playoff sport.
“So I feel all of us performed with that, with that edge a bit bit. That was one thing that was good for me, good for us. And I feel it helped inspire us.”
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The Jaguars’ rally from a 2-6 file to win the AFC South title and victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild-card sport after falling behind 27-0 had been the excessive factors of the 2022 season.
However, the 27-20 loss to eventual Tremendous Bowl Champion Kansas Metropolis in a divisional playoff is their motivation for the 2023 season.
“We bought a bit style of it and we had been shut, however everyone knows there’s extra on the market and all of us need to be in [the Super Bowl] and that is the final word purpose,” Lawrence stated. “This time final yr that was actually exhausting to image and picture, however now going by way of what we did this season, having a number of the success we did, having a playoff win, enjoying Kansas Metropolis all the way down to the top and having a shot and simply not making sufficient performs, we all know what that seems like and we all know we belong.”
Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun hadn’t made the playoffs in his first 4 NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, so whereas he did recognize the postseason expertise he’s additionally upset as a result of he doesn’t really feel just like the Chiefs are a considerably superior staff.
“To be proper there with a contender, I really feel like we didn’t play our cleanest soccer,” Oluokun stated. “There we had been, seven factors down on the finish of the sport. Let’s do what we have to do early within the season so we will be enjoying our greatest soccer that late within the season.
“Going into the offseason and coming into coaching camp, we’re not accepting mediocrity from this staff anymore. That is for positive. We all know what we’re able to. Groups are going to be prepared for us. They know we’re pressure too, and we’ve to play higher than they’re anticipating.”
The Jaguars turned the ball over twice – together with as soon as contained in the Kansas Metropolis 10-yard line – and receiver Christian Kirk dropped a deep cross that may have put the Jaguars contained in the crimson zone within the playoff loss. The Jaguars couldn’t capitalize on three turnovers and blew a protection that resulted in a simple landing throw in a loss to the Chiefs earlier within the season.
The Jaguars misplaced each video games by seven factors and consider they may have received each had they not performed so sloppily.
“They perceive how good they are often,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson stated. “A few of the identical ugly errors that confirmed up in [the playoff loss] had been the issues that confirmed up early within the season. These are the issues we’ve to get rid of. These are the issues we’ve to maneuver on from to be able to win towards nice soccer groups just like the Chiefs are.”
“I feel they’re dissatisfied in that greater than something and simply developing a bit brief.”
Operating again Travis Etienne Jr. stated the day after the playoff loss that it was exhausting to look again over the season as a result of he was depressed that it had ended so abruptly. Watching the opposite playoff video games was painful for him, too.
Each of these issues are what he’s going to recollect when the offseason conditioning program begins – and he hopes his teammates do, too.
“I really feel like I’ve bought to channel that emotion,” Etienne stated. “Guys should channel that emotion and every time we get to that state of affairs subsequent yr we’ll simply method it completely completely different.”
