Raise your hand if you foresaw Trevor Lawrence leading the Jacksonville Jaguars on an opening-drive touchdown in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos’ elite defense.
After getting smashed by Houston 37-21 in Week 1 on the road, apparently home cooking was just what the Jags needed to redeem a horrendous start to the Urban Meyer era.
Despite a false start penalty on the play before, Lawrence fired a 25-yard TD strike to Marvin Jones Jr. on third-and-13:
Jacksonville looked awful against the Texans, as Lawrence struggled in throwing three interceptions. It stood to reason he wouldn’t fare much better facing a defensive guru like Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.
But that’s what No. 1 overall picks are supposed to do, right?
Hard to imagine Lawrence facing much more adversity out of the gates in his NFL career, as buzz out of Jacksonville suggests Meyer is dangerously close to losing his coaching staff and the locker room with his bizarre antics and temper issues.
Whatever happens with Meyer in the coming years, Lawrence has the type of leadership intangibles and all-world skill set to overcome any sort of dysfunction the Jaguars organization throws at him. If a competent roster can be assembled around him, Jacksonville could well have a contender in Duval County someday.
The question is, just how far away is this Jags team from making a legitimate playoff push? Probably a long way off, but Sunday’s first possession is a glimpse into the future of what Jacksonville could look like with Lawrence as the face of the franchise.
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