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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” speak — 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 form of hear that each one season, all offseason and clearly there’s a variety of issues that you would be able to’t management, however … it places a bit little bit of a chip in your shoulder,” Lawrence stated in a telephone interview with ESPN. “That is how we performed the entire [2022] season, our complete group, and we perceive that we by no means actually acquired 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 encourage us.”
The Jaguars’ rally from a 2-6 report to win the AFC South title and victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild-card sport after falling behind 27-0 have 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 acquired a bit style of it and we have been shut, however everyone knows there’s extra on the market and all of us wish to be in [the Super Bowl] and that is the final word objective,” Lawrence stated. “This time final 12 months that was actually onerous to image and picture, however now going via what we did this season, having a number of the success we did, having a playoff win, taking part in Kansas Metropolis all the way down to the top and having a shot and simply not making sufficient performs, we all know what that looks 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 group.
“To be proper there with a contender, I really feel like we didn’t play our cleanest soccer,” Oluokun stated. “There we have been, seven factors down on the finish of the sport. Let’s do what we have to do early within the season so we could be taking part in our greatest soccer that late within the season.
“Going into the offseason and coming into coaching camp, we aren’t accepting mediocrity from this group 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 got 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 move that might have put the Jaguars contained in the pink zone within the playoff loss. The Jaguars couldn’t capitalize on three turnovers and blew a protection that resulted in a straightforward landing throw in a loss to the Chiefs earlier within the season.
The Jaguars misplaced each video games by seven factors and imagine they might have received each had they not performed so sloppily.
“They perceive how good they are often,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson stated. “A number of the identical ugly errors that confirmed up in [the playoff loss] have been the issues that confirmed up early within the season. These are the issues we’ve got to remove. These are the issues we’ve got to maneuver on from with a view to win in opposition to nice soccer groups just like the Chiefs are.”
“I feel they’re upset in that greater than something and simply arising a bit quick.”
Operating again Travis Etienne Jr. stated the day after the playoff loss that it was onerous 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 acquired to channel that emotion,” Etienne stated. “Guys need to channel that emotion and each time we get to that scenario subsequent 12 months we’ll simply method it completely totally different.”
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