Jaguars' Lawrence and Intention Targets vs. Steelers

There is always intention in football; intention for success, getting the ball to your best players, scheming against a great offense or defense. That was on display as the Jacksonville Jaguars first-team offense took the field Saturday night in their eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25.

Franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence made his preseason debut under new head coach Liam Coen and spread the ball around, something that wasn't accidental.

Trevor Lawrence on the intention of getting the ball to his playmakers

Lawrence finished his lone drive against the Steelers with six of seven pass attempts completed for 43 yards. It wasn't flashy or outstanding, but it did generate intrigue with the offense as each of the top playmakers, such as Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr., and Brenton Strange, with the first team unit, saw the ball go their way on a series that ended in a Cam Little field goal.

The former No.1 overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft was asked how intentional it was to get his skill players the ball on that drive, confirming the observation.

"We have so many playmakers," Lawrence explained. "You want to get them all involved and early and let guys get the rock and do something with it, so I think that is intentional for sure, and there are times where the ball just kind of finds guys more than others."

Lawrence Jag — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) walks on the field to greet players after the game of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. The Steelers defeated the Jaguars 31-25. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During the preseason, it's essential to get the starters on the field momentarily to get their feet wet. Some of them don't play at all, though some have earned the right to step onto the field during Week 1 and perform at a high level.

For Lawrence, spreading the ball around and getting the starting wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs touches helps give the quarterback and offensive coaching staff a feel for what they can do in a new system.

"I think in games like this, obviously you want to spread the ball around, you want to get guys touches, get them going, kind of see what we can do," Lawrence said. But I thought the guys did a nice job. Obviously, we had the one drive, so it's hard to really evaluate beyond that but yeah, I thought the guys did a good job when their number was called."

There will be plenty of Trevor Lawrence news and reports throughout the season, so make sure you follow X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley for the latest on Jacksonville's franchise passer.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.