The Jacksonville Jaguars managed to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 in overtime despite the fact that they shot themselves several times throughout the game. Then again, good teams always find a way to overcome adversity and prevail. The 7-4 Jags have most definitely shown that they're a good team, but they'll need better play from their quarterback if they want to finish the season strong.
Trevor Lawrence completed 60.0 percent of his throws for 256 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the win over the Cards. He also used his legs to keep drives alive, adding 29 yards on five scrambles. All things considered, No. 16 did enough to help Jacksonville win, but he also made several mistakes that hurt his team.
In the aftermath of the game, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN perfectly encapsulated the kind of play the Jags have been getting from Lawrence this season.
Dar Orlovsky says the Jaguars have a perplexing quarterback in Trevor Lawrence
One day after the win over the Cardinals, Dan Orlovsky took to Twitter to point out that Trevor Lawrence will have passes that make him look like a top-10 quarterback on any given game, only to make mistakes the following drive that will make it seem like he's making his first start ever. Here's the skinny.
"Man Trevor Lawrence has throws on tape that look like he is the best player at the position in football," Orlovsky wrote. "Then he has 3-4 throws a game that he looks like it's a first start. Roller coaster ride. If he ever gains consistency..."
Colleague Aditi Kinkhabwala, who handled sideline duty in the Cardinals game, caught wind of Orlovski's remarks and had a compelling defense of Lawrence. Here's what she had to say.
"So, a couple things, Dan," Kinkhabwala told Orlovski. "Jakobi Meyers told me he could catch Trevor's passes with his eyes closed, that they are that perfectly placed."
She then noted that Liam Coen's scheme is more detailed and complex than any he's been in. And because of that, "He perhaps has gotten hung up on what he 'should' see and that has slowed him down."
So, a couple things, Dan.
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) November 25, 2025
Jakobi Meyers told me he could catch Trevor’s passes with his eyes closed, that they are that perfectly placed.
Trevor acknowledged to us that Liam’s scheme is more detailed and complex than any he’s been in. And that he perhaps has gotten hung up on…
The Jaguars don't seem to be worried about Trevor Lawrence (quite the opposite)
The truth is that both Dan Orlovsky and Aditi Kinkhabwala make valid points. Trevor Lawrence has shown that he can play at a high level but also makes the kind of puzzling mistakes that prevent him from joining the top echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
On the other hand, the former Clemson Tiger hasn't always had a dependable supporting cast. This season, in particular, he didn't have a receiver who struggled with drops until Jacksonville traded for Jakobi Meyers. And that's the thing, it's hard to build confidence when you aren't sure if your skill position players will help you.
Moreover, Lawrence hasn't had stability throughout his career. Urban Meyer was his head coach in his rookie season. That hindered his development. Although he showed progress early in the Doug Pederson era, things had gone off the rails by Year 3.
This is a long-winded way to say that there's a chance Lawrence will continue to improve as he gets acclimated to Coen's system. Already, he and the Jags are winning. That's probably why Coen doesn't appear to be overly worried about his quarterback and has instead shown him support.
And that's the thing, it may be hard for the Jaguars to move on from Trevor Lawrence in 2026, so their best bet is to give him as much help as possible and expect him to become the quarterback they envisioned when they drafted him first overall in 2021. They're already trending in the right direction. Imagine what they could accomplish if he manages to put it all together at last.