Trevor Lawrence, the promise that required a mentor

It is true that at this point in the season the cameras are stolen by the so-called “Playoff Pictures” and it is not for less, the panorama begins to become clearer in various divisions in both Conferences, however, it is also a good moment to evaluate what has happened with players and teams that up to this point in the previous season were already part of the limbo of the forgotten and the losers, and nothing better to kick off that list than with the Jacksonville Jaguars and mainly their quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who until a year ago Many thought it was just another case of the classic college stars who just can’t handle the pressure and pace of professional football.

It is a never-ending story, and although right now we are witnessing it with quarterbacks who, upon arriving in the NFL, were believed to be the future at position in various teams, we realize that the weight of the NFL is not an easy thing for many.

There are plenty of names, very recently they range from Mitch Trubisky (Chicago), Josh Rosen (Arizona), Andrew Lock (Denver), to Zach Wilson (NY Jets), Sam Darnold (NY Jets) and Baker Mayfield (Cleveland); These last two are being debated today in the Carolina Panthers before what could be their final opportunity in the League after having had great projections as stars in their first teams.

What happens with them will depend to a large extent not only on their own abilities, advances and setbacks in professionalism, but also on the mentors they meet along the way.

However, nothing better exemplifies that combination of quarterback and mentor than what we witness week after week in Jacksonville with Trevor Lawrence and coach Doug Pederson.

THE TRANSITION

Until the end of the 2021 season, Lawrence’s performance was a far cry from his stint as a star at Clemson University. The baton of coach Urban Meyer (a college football guru but a lousy performance at a professional level) was the only thing he managed to do was end the illusion and, I’m not exaggerating, even the self-esteem of this player. Lawrence was just a disaster. A 59 percent shooting percentage and 17 interceptions with only 12 touchdown passes seemed more than enough reason for the Jaguars front office to throw in the towel and look in another direction, just as Zack Wilson is doing now in NY Jets, who seems to be going backwards and the Jets are already beginning to doubt.

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Ignoring the horrendous campaign of its draft gem (Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021), the office settled on a truly quality mentor, no experiments or up-and-comers as coaches (a formula that has helped them He has come out quite effectively to several teams very recently such as Philadelphia, Minnesota or Miami). The Jaguars selected Doug Pederson, a proven coach and also a Super Bowl winner. No one better than him would return the confidence and adequately develop this young man who, without pressing him to excel in his second season as a professional, has seen positive developments every week.

Much of the success may be due to the fact that the front office did not apply pressure to Pederson, making it clear that it was a medium-term plan, which has developed the right chemistry between quarterback and coach, the undoubted winning formula of any team.

The examples jump out at you: Andy Reid-Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, Sean McVay-Matthew Stafford in the LA Rams, Zac Taylor-Joe Burrow.

Just as these have generated a virtuous circle to win, there is no doubt that Pederson’s greater experience can be crucial to elevate Lawrence.

What he did on Sunday — taking down Baltimore’s always effective and tough defense — is proof that this young quarterback is headed in the right direction. It’s true that the Jaguars may not make the postseason, but that doesn’t matter right now. Pederson has a thorn in him after at the time he was developing Carson Wentz with a quality that seemed to lead him to be the MVP of that 2018 season and after a serious injury the passer never regained his rhythm or confidence. Although Pederson won Super Bowl 52 with Philadelphia with a backup quarterback in Nick Foles, Pederson knows that with Wentz in his prime he would have been overwhelming. However, things never went as expected between the two and Pederson left through the back door of the Eagles.

For this reason, now he has a great opportunity to show that he can develop another collegiate super talent like Lawrence and in the process bring to life a franchise that has been lost for several years in the anonymity of losers.

Pederson is the classic case of a great mentor who can make a potential talent a welcome reality. So far this season alone, Lawrence has already surpassed his 2021 touchdown pass total; he accumulates 16 and only 6 interceptions with a very remarkable 66 percent efficiency.

Therefore, it will be important not to lose track of Lawrence, because after Sunday’s performance against the Ravens, that quantum leap of confidence will surely come that will raise his level.

And as in the case of the Pederson-Lawrence duo, we cannot ignore another one that is quietly making its way before skeptics (I include myself), I mean the formula that is brewing in Miami with rookie coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa , who at the moment has silenced several mouths with his work and has the Dolphins at the top of the AFC East division.