Trevor Lawrence raises the bar for NFL playoffs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — During training camp, new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson introduced the team to a philosophy endorsed by motivational speaker and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, a worldview in a single word: “Good.”

“When things are going bad, don’t get all bummed out,” Willink has said. “Don’t get frustrated. No, just look at the issue and say: ‘Good.’”

It’s a philosophy that turns challenge into opportunity, that locates a spark of positivity at the core of desolation. It’s supposed to fire up hope in even the most dire of circumstances — like, say, being down 27 points in a win-or-go-home playoff game.

Trevor Lawrence was as low on a football pitch as one can go. He had thrown four interceptions, which helped to reduce the deficit of four possessions. Although he seemed calm and collected, inside he was fighting with himself. Lawrence — who once went 41 games in high school without losing, and then another 29 in college — knew his team needed him to come through, but he could not stop throwing the ball into the Chargers’ hands.

So when a lineman came up to Lawrence and said, simply, “Good,” Lawrence’s first instinct was to brush it off, thinking, This is not the time.

Lawrence, however, would not allow it to happen. spend the rest of the game being very good indeed.

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 14: Quarterback Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars dives in for a two-point conversion during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs game against the Los Angeles Chargers at TIAA Bank Field on January 14, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars defeated the Chargers 31 to 30. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars dives in to convert a 2-pointer. The conversion reduced a deficit as high as 27 to 2 in the fourth quarter against the Chargers. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images.

For most of the first half, the only happy Jaguars fan in all of TIAA Bank Field was the heavily tattooed gentleman bobbing merrily – and very much alone – in one of the pools high above the stadium’s end zone. Yes, he had watched Lawrence throw four – four! – first-half interceptions, but at least he was in a heated pool while the rest of the stadium was shivering in sub-40-degree temperatures.

Lawrence’s woes began early – like, first playoff pass of his career early. The Chargers’ Joey Bosa tipped the pass at the line, and Drue Tranquill snared it out of the air. Justin Herbert was the Chargers’ first player to reach the end zone two plays later. Los Angeles was ahead 7-0 less than 90 seconds into this game.

It got worse and worse. Another errant Lawrence pass, another interception – then another, and another. The Jaguars’ first six possessions were NSFW: Interception, Interception, Punt, Interception, Punt, Interception, and then a muffed punt, five turnovers that the Chargers built into a 27-0 lead with 4:25 remaining in the first half.

Jacksonville is the only stadium still playing Limp Bizkit. Jaguars fans were able to cheer for their team on down four possessions. Lawrence began Jacksonville’s eighth possession of the half at midfield, and by then Jaguars fans were watching through their fingers and the rest of the NFL world was wondering just how bad this was going to get. Would Lawrence top Brett Favre’s Super Bowl-era playoff record of six interceptions? Would the Jaguars realize they’d made a mistake in firing Urban Meyer? Is it possible for the franchise to just go for London at halftime? For heaven’s sake, the Jaguars weren’t going to let Lawrence throw any more, would they?

Lawrence looked around at his teammates while he was in the huddle. “There’s no 27-point plays,” he said. “We’ve got to do this one play at a time.”

He did just that. Travis Etienne’s right side was the recipient of a 12-yard pass. Christian Kirk is on the left. Marvin Jones Jr. passes Marvin Jones 12-yards in the middle. Then Evan Engram made a 5-yard pass to Marvin Jones Jr. in the middle of the field. The Jaguars were back on the field in no time and ran into the locker room full of hope.

“I just needed to settle in. We couldn’t get any momentum going, couldn’t get any drive going,” Lawrence said. “I knew once we got the momentum back, we’ve been in that situation before.”

“Everybody rallied around him, everybody rallied around each other,” Marvin Jones Jr. said in the locker room after the game. “It was great talk on the sidelines. It was never pointing fingers, it was never ‘oh my gosh.’ More like, ‘I know this isn’t going to happen.’”

The second half will be Much like the single Jaguars swimmer high above all the rest, the Chargers found themselves in hot water, and much like the proverbial frog, they didn’t realize the danger they were in until it was far too hot to escape. Lawrence transformed from a tentative, misfiring embarrassment into the sleek, confident yardage-devouring machine he’d been over the season’s second half.

“Once we picked the tempo up, we started getting our looks and winning one-on-one matchups,” Jones said. “I feel like we could go up against anybody and have success.”

Numbers don’t always tell the story, but these do: Lawrence threw four interceptions, and then four touchdowns. His passer rating for the first half was 24.5, while it was 144.5 in the second. It was a miniature version of the Jaguars’ entire season: losing five of their first six, then winning their final five to storm into the playoffs on the season’s final day.

“It kind of epitomizes our season,” Lawrence said. “We’re never out of it. When you believe and everybody believes, it’s cool what you can accomplish.”

After this miracle 31-30 victory, the Jaguars’ future now looks as bright as the eye-searing teal that dominates their stadium. Lawrence leveled up against the Chargers, establishing himself as one of the AFC’s must-watch quarterbacks of the future. He’s undefeated on Saturdays in high school, college and the pros, though none of those victories came as tough as this one. He’s 23 years old and is the undisputed leader of the Jaguars locker rooms, proving his worth in the best way possible.

Kirk said that it was easy to sympathize with a man like Kirk when he doesn’t blink and puts his all on the line.

In the minutes that followed Riley Patterson’s game-winning field goal, as the delirious Jaguars streamed off the field and into the hallway beneath the stadium, team owner Shad Khan, wearing a sharp white sportcoat and black slacks, greeted and embraced players and coaches. There were many ecstatic shouts and whoops in the air. Some profane, some not. Shaquille Quarterman, a linebacker, carried a huge Jaguar flag that he likely borrowed from a cheerleader.

“Do you believe in miracles?” someone shouted out, probably unaware that the man who’d made that classic call 43 years ago was a few floors above them, having just called their victory as well. This wasn’t a gold medal game, but it felt as good as any victory has in Jacksonville in a very long time.

“Typical us, huh?” Jones laughed. “We know how to throw a good party.”

“It’s easy to say it after, but you don’t win a game like that if you don’t believe in yourself,” Lawrence said. “Proud of this group, this city. Special night for a lot of people, and I’m just thankful for everybody that played a part in it.”

The Jaguars now await the outcome of the rest of this weekend’s games. Jacksonville will host Baltimore next Sunday if the Ravens or Dolphins can overcome their loss of starting quarterbacks. If not, the Jaguars will be heading to Kansas City or Buffalo. Jacksonville will consider every option.

Trevor Lawrence exulted in a miracle victory Saturday night. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Trevor Lawrence celebrated Saturday’s miracle win. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Jay Busbee, [email protected] and @jaybusbee on Twitter.

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