Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) pumps up the crowd after throwing a touchdown pass during the third quarter Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars blanked the Indianapolis Colts 24-0.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence already has a crazy stat in 2023
You can’t help but wonder if Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence could be on his way to MVP contention in the near future. We saw a disastrous rookie season (not Lawrence’s fault) followed by an exceptional year two under Doug Pederson in which the Jaguars not only won the AFC South but they won a playoff game at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lawrence took a huge step forward in 2022 but has perhaps taken yet another leap here to start the 2023 season. NFL’s “Next Gen Stats” can provide some really intriguing looks at the details making player performances great. It’s only been one week of the season, but Lawrence is already showing out in an impressive category: Impossible completions.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence making more “impossible throws” than anyone else
In the Jaguars’ Week 1 win against the Indianapolis Colts, Lawrence completed three of the top 20 most difficult throws completed out of any game played. Not only did he complete three of the top 20, but Lawrence was the only quarterback with multiple throws within the top 10 of the highest degree of difficulty.
And he had three.
Three throws among the top 10 most “impossible completions” of Week 1 of the season. Trevor Lawrence is him as they say.
Believe it or not, this throw to Calvin Ridley ranked third among Lawrence’s three most “impossible” completions of the week, and all three of those completions went to different receivers (Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, Zay Jones).
It’s impressive to see the growth Lawrence has shown through the years, and the fact that he’s probably exceeded the hype he received dating back to his high school days when he was a consensus no. 1 prospect in the country. He has been spectacular at every turn, helping Clemson win a championship before getting picked first overall by the Jaguars in 2021, leading them to a division title, and then a playoff win in year two as well.
To say the sky is the limit would be an understatement. Lawrence has weapons at his disposal. He has a tremendous head coach and infrastructure. He plays in a division where it feels like the Jaguars are the only team currently ascending.
And it’s hard to agree with that take from Mike Renner linked above — Lawrence does look like he’s clearly in the tier of QB right behind Patrick Mahomes, and Mahomes is on a tier all by himself. Being in the tier behind Mahomes isn’t a slight to Lawrence, it’s simply an acknowledgment that there’s no one else in the NFL right now who is like Mahomes. And it also doesn’t mean that Lawrence can’t go toe-to-toe with Mahomes, because he can, and will in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
