Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, if you're one of the millions watching pro football
right now, you know exactly why we are diving headfirst
into the Jaguars. Oh yeah, they have turned into, well,
almost overnight, one of the most exciting teams in the league.
You shared a whole stack of sources with us, and
they all seem to be asking one extremely critical question,
(00:22):
is it real?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Is it sustainable?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Exactly? Is this sudden explosive success sustainable or is it
just a flash in the pan.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
And that's the core analysis we really need to do here.
Our mission today is to dissect the stats. We're going
to focus heavily on quarterback Trevor Lawrence and that well
unprecedented statistical streak he's on.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
And the other piece, the surprising piece, is running back
Travis at ten junior incredibly impactful.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So we're here to figure out is Lawrence just repeating
that late season magic he had in twenty twenty two
or has he unlocked a totally new level of play.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Let's impact this right away with I think the most
compelling piece of data, it's this sustained output. Lawrence has
now hit what two hundred and twenty five plus passing
yards and multiple touchdown passes and four straight.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Games, four consecutive games. And that word you used, sustained,
that's the key.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
It's statistical consistency. It is.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
It's the longest stretch of his entire career, which tells
me he's not just hitting these isolated peaks anymore. He's
operating at a new statistical floor. The question is is
that floor built on rock or on sand?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Okay, let's start with the rock. Then the Lawrence ascendency.
The comparison to twenty twenty two, it feels unavoidable.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
It's completely unavoidable, mostly because the results are so so similar.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Look at their record. They're sitting at six wins and
one loss over their past seven games.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
That's a dominant run. It's a true testament to the
offense and you know, the defense really clicking together.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
And if you rewind the last season, it was the
same story. Lawrence got red hot after their bye week, led.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Them to an identical six to one record over a
similar stretch. That's what won them the division title. The script,
I mean, it just feels so familiar.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
So focusing just on Lawrence's personal output during this current streak,
the numbers are just huge, massive, over these seven games,
he's thrown fourteen touchdown passes and added four more on
the ground.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Absolutely massive production. But yeah, if we're going to talk
about sustainability, we have to address the glaring difference between
this surge and the one in twenty twenty two.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
The turnovers and turnovers. That's the tension right there. During
this current run, he's thrown six interceptions, six.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
And while the eighteen total touchdowns are incredible, six turnovers
in seven games, I mean that raises a bright red
flag about whether this style of play can last.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
So contrasts that for us, what did twenty twenty two
look like?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Okay, so during that identical six and one hot stretch
in twenty twenty two, he threw twelve touchdown passes to
only two interceptions, only two two. That was surgical, it
was cautious efficiency. The current version is it's high volume,
it's aggressive, and it's carrying a significantly higher risk of
turning the ball over.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
So the sources really forced us to ask, is this
higher interception rate just a function of aggression of the
coaching staff trusting him to test those tight windows, or is.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It evidence of him pressing putting the ball in home's
way when he shouldn't.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And what do you think.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
I think if you look at the whole strategic picture,
it's probably a little bit of both. The offense has
undeniably opened up.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
They are pushing the ball downfield more.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Way more, which means the quarterback has to take more risks.
In twenty twenty two, the formula was high efficiency, low risk,
protect the football. Now the emphasis seems to be on
just overwhelming the opponent.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Even if it means exposing the ball.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Even if it means that, and that is a sustainability
risk because historically, the second those interceptions start turning into
opponent touchdowns, that whole winning formula just breaks down.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
But we can't ignore the peak performance, which suggests the
gamble might be worth it, oh for sure. I mean
the sources highlight his most recent game as an outlier.
Even within this hot streak, he threw for three hundred
and thirty yards, a career high five tome down passes,
I ran for one, and ran for one six total
touchdowns in one game.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
That's the ultimate proof of capability right now. It shows
that when the system is just operating perfectly, he can
be truly truly dominant. But that level of dominance. It
needs multiple threats to keep the defense honest, which.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Brings us perfectly to the second and maybe most strategically
important factor in these sources. This is where the new
dimension comes in. If Lawrence is playing this high risk,
high reward style, what's taking the pressure off him, what's
making his life easier?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
And the answer is the surprising development of running back Travis.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Etien Junior as a receiving weapon.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
As a receiving weapon, and that shift, it fundamentally changes
how defensive coordinators have to approach this team. How so well,
for years, Etien was primarily just a strong running threat,
a very good one. But now he's emerging as a
legitimate downfield receiving threat. And the numbers are well, they're
almost unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
So give us the stat the one they jumped off
the for you.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Okay, In that single recent game we were just talking about,
Travis Ettien Junior caught three.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Touchdown passes, three in one game.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Three. Now think about that historically, that one game total,
it tied his entire career total of receiving touchdowns coming
into that game. Wow, it's not just an unexpected performance,
it signals a philosophical and a technical shift in how
they use him. Defenses just were not ready for that.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
And it's a huge moment for his legacy too, right,
it cements his place in their franchise history. He's now
got what thirty one career touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Which puts some sixth on the Jaguars all time list.
Already he's scoring, sure, but it's the how he's getting
those receiving scores that really tells the story about the
sustainability of this offense.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
And that's where we need a zero in on the
screen pass.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Exactly. His last touchdown and that massive game came from
a screen pass, a play the team had historically and
demonstrably struggled with in the weeks before.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Okay, so why is the screen pass so pivotal? On
the surface, it seems like a simple play.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
It's so deceptively difficult. It needs perfect timing and execution
from like five or six different guys all at once.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
The offensive line has to sell the pass rush right.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Then delay for a perfect count, then release and get downfield.
The quarterback has to be patient, hold the ball and
then have the accuracy to throw it softly, and the
back needs the vision to let his blocks set up.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
So if you struggle with screens, you're essentially telling the defense.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
That they don't have to respect the short field dump off.
They can just pin their ears back and come after
your quarterback.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
They can blitz with impunity. Yeah, and if they suddenly
master a play they've been bad at, what does that
do to the defense's strategy.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
It just opens up the entire playbook instantly. If the
defense knows you can hit that screen, it forces the
linebackers to slow down. They have to stay accountable for
that checkdown.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
And when the linebackers hesitate.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Lawrence gets an extra half second in the pocket, which
neutralizes some of that intense pressure that leads to those
riskier throws and potentially those interceptions we were just talking about.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
So Etien's development here directly addresses the biggest weakness in
Lawrence's recent stat line.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
It's a key strategic insight. This one technical shift is
actually mitigating the risk of their entire offensive philosophy.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So what drove this suddn mastery of a flawed play?
We actually have the insight right from coach Liam Cohne.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, and Cohen's comments are incredibly telling. They speak directly
to this sustainability question. First, he acknowledged the issue, admitting
we have got to improve there.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So he's confirming, yes, the struggle was real, the staff
saw it.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
But his follow up is the most important quote in
the whole stack. He drew a really clear line between
improving what they had and overhauling the system. He said,
it's just like anything you're trying to improve, but not
go reinvent the wheel with them, not.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Go reinvent the wheel. That raises a fascinating point about coaching,
doesn't it. They didn't scrap the play, They didn't install
something new and exotic.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
They chose refinement. And when he says they aren't reinventing
the wheel, he's implying the problem wasn't the concept of
the play, it was the execution.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
And he specified what that refinement looked like. Yeah, I
think there's some fundamentals and techniques we can improve.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And that right there, that is the foundation of long
term success.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
What does that actually look like in practice?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It means drilling the tight end on holding his block
for just one extra beat. It means Lauren's working on
the exact trajectory of the past. So Etten catches it
and stride It.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Means etiend practicing patients running behind his blockers instead of
trying to outrun everyone immediately exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
These are minor, tiny adjustments and technique, but they translate
into major gains and consistency.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
And that distinction is so vital for analyzing sustainability. Isn't
it innovation? Exotic schemes, they're fun, but they get scouted
and they get neutralized pretty fast.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
But true mastery of fundamentals, perfecting the most basic parts
of the game that is repeatable. It's much harder for
an opponent to just game plan away. If their screen
pass success is based on better footwork and timing, that's
not going to just disappear next week.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
It suggests the whole offense is hitting a new level
of maturity of execution efficiency.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
It's a very potent combination. You have Lawrence playing this
high volume, aggressive football and the development of Etien's receiving
game is providing this reliable, low risk outlet that neutralizes
the pressure of that style.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
This all points to a trajectory that's going up, but
you know, every streak has to face reality. The immediate
test for this sustained success is their next game, which
is a road game at the Broncos this coming Sunday
four point h five pm.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Eastern, and that defensive pressure will immediately test this improved
execution on plays like the screen that is the crucible.
Every win validates the sustainability argument. Every loss forces a
reevaluation of that high risk style.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
But let's bring this all back to the core finding
for you, our listener. The sources confirmed that Lawrence's statistical
surge is legitimate, it's consistent, it's a he really has
elevated his play beyond twenty.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Twenty two, right, But the most compelling evidence for sustainability
is that tactical development of Travis Aten Junior, specifically by
mastering those previously troublesome screen passes.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Turning a fundamental weakness into a foundational strength that adds
tremendous flexibility.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
And it leaves us with the ultimate question that coach
Collin's focus on technique really raised. He wasn't trying to
reinvent the wheel.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
So we'll leave you with this provocative final thought to
mull over, how much of a professional team success in
this hyper innovative world of sports comes from high level,
complex scheme design versus simply mastering the most basic elements
of execution.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
When you look at the evidence from this six and
one stretch, the high risk throws from Lawrence versus the
discipline screen passes to etten, which element do you think
has actually been the driving force behind this victory streak.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Your answer to that will tell you if they're built
to last.