The Jacksonville Jaguars are headed to the postseason.
The Jags’ four-game winning streak is their longest since a five-game streak in early 2023, a mark they can match with a win over the 3-10 New York Jets on Sunday. Liam Coen’s club is 5-1 since Week 8 and now has a 97% chance of advancing to the postseason, according to Next Generation Stats.
After a shaky start, Coen’s attack has hit its stride, along with their winning ways. The Jaguars have scored 25-plus points in six straight games since their streak, tying the longest streak in history (2007).
A good defense and a return to the running game have helped in the win, but just as important has been the improved play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The signal caller had his best game of the season in Week 14, making plays, stretching the field and avoiding mistakes. His best pass of the season might have been a penalty on Tim Patrick on Sunday, where he put it on the money despite being off balance. It’s a highlight that deserved more national flowers than it got.
“He’s making it easy for everybody,” Patrick said via the team’s official website. “He has complete control of the offense. He runs when he needs to run. He throws when he needs to throw and obviously the running game and our line. I think we understand what kind of team we are and what kind of team we want to be.
“We want to run the ball, we want to be physical and when we have to throw the ball, we’re going to throw the ball and we’re going to make plays.”
Lawrence has posted a 100-plus scorer rating in back-to-back games (111.5 in Week 13 and 105.4 in Week 14), the first time he has accomplished the feat all season. His career streak of 100-plus games is three (2022).
It wasn’t too early for Lawrence on Coen’s offensive. His season is reduced due to a weak start. He ranks 30th in completion percentage (59.5), 29th in passer rating (83.3), 26th in TD-INT ratio (18-11), 25th in sacks per game (2.5) and 15th in passing yards per game (221.5). But his recent rise in play comes at the right time.
“You hit stride at different times in different seasons,” Coen said. “It’s just the way it goes. And try not to overthink it. Try not to delve into too many what-ifs and this and this; you just keep coaching. You keep the standards high and the expectations high.”
Lawrence is two passes away from tying David Garrard for 3rd most in Jacksonville. Top 4: Mark Brunell (144), Blake Bortles (103), Garrard (89), Lawrence (87).