Jaguars' Run to AFC's Final 4 Has Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson in Elite Company

When it comes to any list of the best quarterback/head coach duos in the NFL, it is impossible to avoid the AFC's big-name trio.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

Josh Allen and Sean McDermott.

Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor.

Few teams have won as much and as big in the last several seasons as the Chiefs, Bills and Bengals, who make up most of the AFC's last several Super Bowls and AFC Championship appearances.

Now, the Jaguars and their dynamic duo at the top of the franchise in head coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Trevor Lawrence are making their stake for a claim at the table. With a contest vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, Mahomes and Pederson's mentor in Reid, the Jaguars have a chance to make Saturday's Divisional Round a legacy game.

"It’s a great atmosphere and we’ve got to embrace it, no one expects us to do anything, so go play and have fun, enjoy the moment, and let’s see what happens," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday.

"We’ve put ourselves in this position to be one of the four remaining AFC teams and you got a lot to play for. Whether we win, whether we lose, our season was a huge success from that standpoint. First year together, overcome a lot of adversity from last year to this year, pushing these guys through, and just go play and have fun.”

The Jaguars and Pederson are in a spot nobody expected them to be in at this time of the year. The last time the Jaguars played the Chiefs, Reid and Mahomes survived three turnovers to win 27-17 at home. The loss dropped the Jaguars to 3-7 and was business as usual for the Chiefs, the jewel of the AFC.

Since then, the Jaguars are 7-1. They have had comeback win after comeback win, big play after big play, and Lawrence's numbers during the win streak are strikingly close to Mahomes'.

The Jaguars have a chance to do something special on Saturday but it is important to point out that they already have. Being in this spot, alongside the Chiefs' duo and two other AFC juggernauts, is cause enough for celebration. Especially when you consider this run was pushed by Lawrence and Pederson, a sustainable combo that Jacksonville didn't have in their last playoff run.

Pederson has totaled a 5-2 postseason record, marking the second-best winning percentage in the postseason among all active head coaches (minimum five games), behind only Taylor.

Meanwhile, Lawrence completed 28 of 47 passes for 288 yards and four TDs in his postseason debut, setting a franchise single game record for passing TDs. Lawrence became the youngest player in NFL history to throw for four or more touchdowns in a playoff game in the process.

#Jaguars Stat of the Day
Per: @theryanmichael

With 4 touchdown passes in #LACvsJAX, Trevor Lawrence became the youngest player in NFL history to throw 4+ touchdown passes in a playoff game (23 years, 100 days)—breaking the mark set by Dan Marino (23 years, 113 days) on 1/6/85.
— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) January 15, 2023

“Week 10 seems so long ago. I guess it was 10 weeks ago. I think just speaking of the team, I think we’re in a really good spot. We have a lot of confidence, played a lot of football since then. We’ve won a lot of games since then," Lawrence said on Tuesday. "I think we’ve played much better this stretch than we did earlier in the season, so I think there’s been a lot of things. Same for the Chiefs though. They’ve had a lot of games since then.

"The film is the film, and you kind of know what each team wants to do. There’s going to be wrinkles and all that like there always is, especially game planning for a big game. It’s just about execution, and I think that’s the biggest thing it comes down to, especially in the playoffs. They might have a few wrinkles, but their scheme is their scheme, and it’s about who’s going to execute better, especially when you’ve already played the team once. That’s two weeks in a row where we’re playing a team we’ve already played in the season. It’ll be interesting to see what the plan is, and I feel great about what we’ve got in so far and excited.”

No matter the odds over the last two months, the Jaguars have overcome adversity and obstacle after obstacle. Teams, deficits, star players, and top-tier quarterbacks; all have been thrown at the Jaguars, Lawrence and Pederson. Since Mahomes and Pederson, none have succeeded.

“Whether it’s our money or house money, we’re here. It’s a credit to those players in the locker room and the coaching staff for believing in each other and working hard. What we’ve done down the stretch regardless of mishaps, we’re here," Pederson said.

"I try to block out the best I can with the team, you just block out the noise, you block out the negativity, you block out whether it’s lack of respect or whatever. We have a young quarterback, whatever it might be. We’re one of four in the AFC left and that says a lot. That says a lot about these guys, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”