The Trevor Lawrence offense vs. the Mike Vrabel defense.
It has not been as big a mismatch as some New England Patriots followers might think.
In fact, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Lawrence has dished it out as well as he has taken it in the matchup. Vrabel met Lawrence-led teams six times in Tennessee from 2021-2023, the quarterback’s first three years in the league.
Matchup by the numbers
Each side won three times, and Lawrence has posted decent numbers, hitting 150 of 222 passes for 1,616 yards (7.3 yards per attempt) with nine touchdown passes and seven interceptions, good for an 89.1 passer rating.
But those numbers are skewed. Lawrence, under the disaster that was coach Urban Meyer as a rookie, struggled mightily in those two 2021 losses, throwing five picks with just one TD. His rating in the four games that followed was 103.4 with the yards per attempt bumping to 7.5.
Coach sees his growth
Vrabel is a fan.
“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.
“He has done a really fantastic job of being able to move the ball downfield, but keep it out of harm’s way. He’s decisive when he scrambles. It’s a guaranteed first down, if not longer when he decides to scramble.
“Those aren’t even the designed run plays. Those are drop back passes that turn into play extensions, and he is either keeping his eyes downfield and hitting somebody, or he’s decisive and he is willing to scramble. So, I just see a lot of maturity, and he is playing at a high level.”
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The challenge that lies ahead
Now, can the coach and the Patriots find a way to slow Lawrence down?
New England’s defense, in a pair of very suitable situations – facing a backup Drew Lock and a washed-up Aaron Rodgers – has been nothing short of sensational, allowing 16 points total which is tops in the NFL through two week.
“He has his pros and cons,” said cornerback Carlton Davis of Lawrence. “Ultimately, he’s a guy who can change the game with his arm or his legs, so we have to be prepared for that.”
