Fueled by a heartbreaking playoff exit and lingering "little brother" reputation, Trevor Lawrence and the surging Jaguars are embracing an underdog mentality to hunt for a Super Bowl.
Trevor Lawrence reunited with his former teammate, Mitch Morse, on the "In Good Company" podcast last Tuesday and said the Jacksonville Jaguars have a chip on their shoulder heading into next season.
Jacksonville finished the year 13-4 and won the AFC South division for the third time in franchise history. It was the team's second-best record since 1999, when they finished 14-2.
They lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Playoffs in heartbreaking fashion, 27-24, after Lawrence threw an interception in the final drive. Although the Jaguars' season ended early in the playoffs, they haven't received much media attention.
The Jaguars had the second-best record in the NFL last season, finishing below the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Lawrence said there aren't many people who want the team to be good.
"I think there's always going to be that little brother feeling of our team in Jacksonville, which is a good thing because I think our city has such a chip on its shoulder," Lawrence told Mitch Morse and KC Hahey. "Our team has a chip on its shoulder because I mean, we're biased obviously, and we kind of think everyone's against us at times, but I think it is true."
Jacksonville may not dominate the headlines, but it dominated the last eight games of the season. The team closed out the year on an eight-game winning streak, as coach Liam Coen and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski transformed the offense.
They averaged 36.6 points per game during that stretch, which would eclipse the Los Angeles Rams' league-best scoring average at 30.5 points. The Jaguars are carrying that same momentum from last season into OTAs.
Lawrence and the team are eyeing a Super Bowl berth. Jacksonville's franchise quarterback highlighted that the next step for them is to have the opportunity to figure things out as a team to improve throughout the season.
"I think being able to adapt and adjust is important," Lawrence said. "Weathering the storm of the season because you might not, and you hope you don't start week one your best cause that's going to be hard to play your absolute best for 18 weeks."
The Jaguars had quite the shaky start to the season, starting 5-4. Lawrence said the team ran the ball well, but the passing game lagged.
Jacksonville's offense started to click after its division lost to the Houston Texans in Week 10. While the year didn't start well, the team adapted and adjusted, leading to the franchise's second-longest winning streak to end the season.
The team is building off its success and eyeing to become even better next season. Jacksonville has a chip on its shoulder, aiming to make the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
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