Jacksonville Jaguars 26 - Carolina Panthers 10
Q. Trevor, some big-time third down conversions today with your legs, but also finding Brenton early, Dyami. Why were you able to have such success on third down today in your opinion?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I mean, it's obviously something that I know we've needed to improve on. Talking about last year, working on third down. So I think emphasizing that in the offseason, but also just I felt we were really prepared. Our plan was good going in.
We ran some good stuff against Carolina's defense, and guys were in the right spot at the right time, and I was able to get it to them. Obviously still left some out there, but it felt good to get those third downs and be able to keep the drive going.
Q. What did it feel like being back on the field for you? It's been a while.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It's been a while. Yeah, it felt great. It's fun being back out there. Yeah, that's all I got. It was great. It was fun. Fun to get a one win, man. That was awesome.
Q. How do you feel you operated the offense and the offense operated in general?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I think there's a lot to clean up. You know, we'll go back and look at it. I think operationally wasn't terrible, but some of the penalties obviously we have to clean up. I thought a couple of times we're getting to the line a little slow and getting a little bit behind the play clock, and we have to just improve that.
That starts with me just getting the call in quick and getting the guys at the line of scrimmage and going and playing and having that sense of urgency. I think there's a couple of those.
Then, yeah, just too many penalties in general, but hey, found a way to get a win. Found the end zone a couple of times and were able to score points, and our defense played great and ran the ball great. Did a lot of good things today, and we won, most importantly.
We'll go back and correct it. We have to keep getting better, but there's definitely some stuff that we can learn from.
Q. This is like we said before, your third different offense that you've had to work with, and each offense takes a while to get used to. So how long has it been -- is it still a work in progress, or are you feeling much comfortable now with what Coach Coen is calling?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I feel very comfortable. Every week is new, though. The way you game plan during the season is just so much different. It is like learning -- I wouldn't say learning something new, but you are putting together a whole new plan for each opponent.
So it's a lot of work that goes in during the week of not only film study of your opponent, but also studying your game plan and what we're doing and why we're running this run against this look and why we're trying to get this concept versus this coverage. There's a lot of things that go into it.
So it's just a lot of study each week to get ready so you feel great and can play fast on Sunday, and I thought, you know, myself and the guys did an awesome job this week of preparing. We were ready to go, and we were ready for what Carolina was going to do, and I thought we played fast.
Q. Two for you on the scrambles: How important was it to get those first two out of the way knowing that's how last season ended?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, not really something I thought about, to be honest. I think just using your legs is a weapon in this league, and you see the way the league is especially now. It's what you have to do.
Defenses are good. They're covering people up. It's got to happen sometimes, and they don't have that extra defender for the quarterback. Just finding a way to use my legs and be able to keep the drives alive.
Q. You guys have been working towards week one since March. Is it a relief to get through it and just move on and get into the season now?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It feels really good to get a win, to start your season that way 1-0, and we'll enjoy it tonight. It's hard to win in this league, so you can't take any of them for granted, but we have to move on quickly and get ready for a good team in Cincinnati next week.
Yeah, it feels great, though. Especially with all the new going on and the amount of work we put in this offseason and to be rewarded for this first week and getting that win feels good. It's just this week, and we have to move on to next week.
Q. Does it feel any different as a new regime? I mean, you didn't win your opener in the first regime. You didn't win your opener in the second regime. Does this one feel different or headed in a different direction?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I think, yeah, there's a lot of -- yes, it feels great the direction we're heading. Like I said, you can't take it for granted, because we won in week one. We're 1-0 to start the season, and we're all pumped about that.
A lot of work went into it, and no one takes it for granted how hard it is to win in this league. So we're all really proud of that, but it's one game. You know, we've got to keep doing it.
Consistency is what will be the difference, and we have to continue to prepare and play well.
Q. Over 200 yards on the ground. How pleasing was that, and why was the ground game able to be so effective today?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, the guys -- I mean, it starts with the guys up front, obviously. Guys up front and the wide outs too in the run game have really bought into blocking downfield. Did you see Dyami on Travis's long run? Covering up the guy 50 yards down the field got Travis an extra 30 yards. That stuff matters.
For those guys to buy in and do that on the perimeter and then to see it pay off in a game where it's, like, hey, you got 30 more yards because you ran down the field and covered up your guy, that's cool to see the buy-in from the whole team. Obviously the guys up front, the most selfless guys we got, and they just are grinding it out.
We ran it a lot, and they wanted to keep doing it, and they did a great job moving people. We were ready. We had a good plan.
Q. When the defense has a day like today... three turnovers, two turnovers on downs... what does that do for the offense?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It's awesome. You know, we had some drives where we didn't do a great job where we got behind the chains and had a couple of three-and-outs. We missed a throw, dropped a ball, whatever it might be. Just a couple of mishaps on offense.
Then when your defense is able to go get a stop and kind of erase that, it's huge. I mean, as an offense when you feel like, all right, we got three and out and then they go score immediately -- obviously it's football. It's going to happen sometimes, but it's a good feeling when you know that defense goes out there and gets another three-and-out and gets the ball right back. That's huge for a team.
Q. With how much routine is in the quarterback position, you're in the rhythm in a game, what was that weather delay like? What were you doing during it?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, it was weird having that delay when we already started, and it was middle of the second quarter, so you know you're about to come back in for halftime too.
Just keeping everyone focused. We had some good conversations inside in the locker room of, you know, what they were doing. If anything was different that they were doing that we didn't plan for, kind of what calls we're looking to get to next, all that stuff.
Then from there on you just kind of relax and try to cool off and hydrate, get the body back. It's hot out there today.
Q. How did Travis Hunter do today?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: He was great. Had some big catches, obviously. You know, I think he's a weapon for us, and he's going to continue to get better and better. He's a matchup in space, great with the ball in his hands.
You know, could have had more out there. I felt like I could have gave him a few more opportunities on some of the ones I missed, but he had a good day today, and we'll keep building off of it.
Q. No mistakes from him on the routes or anything? Liam said he was perfect.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: He was great. He was great. He was prepared. Did a good job knowing the plan. The position he plays, you kind of have to know a lot, because he's involved in a lot of the run game. He's involved in the passing game. He did a good job preparing.
Q. Were you trying to give Liam a game ball?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I had one saved for him. Mr. Khan gave him one, so it was perfect. It's good.
Q. (Off microphone). Can you elaborate on that, on the footwork and the growth of it and how you would evaluate it today?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I have to watch the tape. There were a few times where I'm sure there's some stuff to clean up. In the game it's never as perfect as practice because there's a lot of bullets flying and getting moved off the spot. There's always some stuff to correct.
But, yeah, it's something that's been a big focus that you guys have known about and asked me a lot since the spring. I put a lot of time into working on it. I think it's really helped me.
I continue to get better at it and refine it, but it's been a change that's been good. I mean, I wouldn't say it's anything major, but when you are messing with your footwork as a quarterback and you've gotten thousands of reps a certain way, you know, it takes a lot of time to really master the new way.
I feel like I'm on my way there and got to continue to work.
Q. (Off microphone.)
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I got a lighter left foreman. No sweaty wristband.
Q. You win the toss, and you take the ball. How cool was that instead of defer to come out and be on offense? I'm sure you wanted seven. Settled for three, but 13 plays and taking six and a half minutes off the clock, after the struggles on the first drive a year ago to put up points on your initial drive today.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It felt great. Just being aggressive, I think, you know, that speaks a lot to Liam's mindset and what he wants to do and what he feels about our offense and the way we can attack and go get points. Not afraid to do that.
I think as an offense and that trust that he has in us and the aggressiveness, it's great. It was awesome to be able to get points. Obviously, like you said, you want to get seven there, and we got behind the chains a couple of times.
Besides that, we were able to put together a long drive, keep their offense off the field, settle into the game, kind of get in a flow. It was good.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports