The Jacksonville Jaguars are riding a hot streak to end the NFL season. Liam Coen most definitely deserves plenty of credit for steering the ship in the right direction, but he might not have been able to turn things around if Trevor Lawrence wasn't playing at a high level.
After an inconsistent start to the season, Lawrence has hit his stride just in time for the playoffs. In fact, he's playing so well that he's earned a bit of consideration for MVP honors. However, he was a long shot to begin with, and his odds of taking the prestigious award home plummeted after Dake Maye's lights-out performance on Monday Night.
Drake Maye is the favorite to become the 2025 NFL MVP
Drake Maye solidified his case for the MVP when he tossed five touchdown passes against the New York Jets in Week 17, giving him 30 for the season. Even before the game, he and Matthew Stafford were the favorites to get the nod. However, Stafford's case suffered a steep drop after throwing three interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night.
When you take into account that Maye plays in a bigger market, he looks like the favorite to be this year's MVP. Of course, Stafford could always bounce back in the finale, but the Patriots quarterback currently has a better case.
That doesn't mean Trevor Lawrence is completely out of contention, but he's trailing behind Maye and Stafford. Unless he finishes the season strong and throws for five or six touchdowns against the Titans, it's hard to see him suddenly become the favorite.
Still, Lawrence has most definitely posted intriguing numbers this season. With one game to go, he's completed 60.2 percent of his throws for 3,752 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. On top of that, he's rushed for nine touchdowns, giving him a total of 35 for the year.
The Jaguars would like to see Trevor Lawrence be the MVP (but have bigger goals)
As good as Trevor Lawrence has played in the second half of the season, you will probably be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks he'll be snubbed if Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford becomes the MVP. After all, No. 16 got off to a slow start to the season. Heck, there was even chatter that his future in Jacksonville could be in doubt.
Ultimately, Lawrence let it rip and is a big reason the Jaguars will make the playoffs this year. This begs the question: Wouldn't it be great if he were MVP? You bet, but Liam Coen has his team focused on the bigger picture.
Players love individual accolades because they validate their hard work. However, most of them prefer team accomplishments, which is to say that it won't matter if Lawrence doesn't earn MVP honors as long as Jacksonville makes a deep playoff push.
Moreover, Lawrence will have consistency in 2026, and his strong play to end this season should carry over into next year. If it does, he could have a strong case to be the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. For now, the Jags are surely pleased that he's playing up to his talent, and that should suffice.