Trevor Lawrence finally erased one strange hole from his NFL resume originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Trevor Lawrence has accomplished plenty since entering the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021.
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One unusual item remained on his resume. Until Sunday.
Lawrence finally defeated Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 18 of 23 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown as Jacksonville escaped with a 22-17 victory.
The Jaguars improved to 3-1. For Lawrence, it completed an interesting personal sweep.
Lawrence has now beaten every AFC opponent
Sunday marked Lawrence’s first victory over Cincinnati in four tries. It also means he now owns at least one victory against every AFC opponent. The Lawrence-Burrow history goes deeper than the NFL.
Burrow’s LSU team defeated Lawrence and Clemson in the College Football Playoff national championship game following the 2019 season.
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Their professional meetings had produced the same winner.
Not this time.
Lawrence wasn’t asked to throw 50 passes or rescue Jacksonville with a ridiculous fourth-quarter comeback. Instead, he played efficiently while the Jaguars’ defense created the game’s defining moments.
That may actually be more encouraging.
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Jacksonville is learning how to win ugly
Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards. Jacksonville still won. The Jaguars intercepted Burrow twice, including one turnover that created a touchdown opportunity. They also stopped Cincinnati on two critical red-zone possessions.
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The final stand came with 50 seconds remaining. Facing fourth-and-10, Burrow completed a pass to Chase Brown, but Rayuan Lane III tackled him one yard short of the first-down marker.
Game over.
Jacksonville has now recorded an interception in nine consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL and a franchise record. That defense gives Lawrence something every quarterback wants: permission to win without being perfect. The Jaguars are 3-1 for the second consecutive season, but this version may be developing a more sustainable formula.
Lawrence can still produce the spectacular throws.
On Sunday, Jacksonville showed it can also win when its quarterback simply takes care of business and lets the defense finish the job. That might matter more in January.
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