Coach Vrabel knows that the 2026 version of Trevor Lawrence is different from the one he saw twice a year when he was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, and his defense needs to be sharp come Sunday.
“I think he is just much more decisive and comfortable. I think you could always count on some turnovers, maybe three or four years ago. I don’t think that is necessarily the case now,” said Vrabel. “I just see a lot of maturity, and he is playing at a high level.”
Historical Matchups
Vrabel and Lawrence were both in the AFC South from 2021 to 2023, and during those seasons they had six head-to-head matchups. During those games, Lawrence had a 68% completion percentage and threw for over 269 passing yards per game.
He also had a high touchdown-to-interception ratio of 9:7. For a young quarterback who, at the time, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, this high ratio is common. At that stage in his career, he would want to create big plays down the field as opposed to taking the checkdown or other looks that the 14-year career linebacker and defensive-minded coach would give him.
Ascension to top-ten Quarterback
Now in his sixth season with Jacksonville, Lawrence stands firmly in the top ten at his position thanks to his experience and maturity in the league. So far in the young season, he ranks in the top ten in touchdowns (4), interceptions (1), and QBR (75.0).
The six-year vet is also a dual-threat using his legs to score 9 touchdowns last season. This makes the task of stopping the towering 6′ 6” quarterback a very difficult task for Vrabel’s defense on Sunday.
When Mike Vrabel’s team faces off against Lawrence and Liam Coen’s balanced offense on Sunday, he will not be facing the same gun-slinging early-career quarterback that he faced during his Tennessee days. He will be tasked with devising a game plan to stop a quarterback who has grown by leaps and bounds as one of the league’s best dual-threat signal callers.
