Mahomes Applauds Lawrence’s Comeback Performance: ‘That’s a True Test of a Competitor’

Trevor Lawrence earned high-praise from the NFL's top quarterback thanks to his comeback performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Saturday will mark the second time Trevor Lawrence and Patrick Mahomes match off, marking what could be just one of many future clashes between the dynamic young passers. 

But entering this matchup, Mahomes is likely viewing Lawrence just a bit differently than he did when they first clashed in Week 10. He isn't alone, either -- the entire NFL is looking at Lawrence differently, especially after what he did vs. the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round.

After a disappointing rookie season under Urban Meyer and an uneven first half of the season this year, Lawrence has seemingly caught fire and helped the Jaguars improve from 3-7 to 9-8 and AFC South champions. During the run, he saw the ultimate challenge of adversity vs. the Chargers.

The Jaguars fell behind 27-0 after Lawrence threw a stunning four interceptions in the Jaguars' first six possessions, including three in the first quarter and one on his very first pass. From tipped balls to poor decisions to questionable no-calls, Lawrence threw them all. 

But Lawrence stayed the course, throwing four touchdowns over the final 2.5 quarters to lead the Jaguars on a wild 31-30 comeback, dominating through the air and throwing just a handful of incompletions as he went from turnover machine to passing dynamo. 

“Yeah, that’s tough. When you throw three interceptions, especially in the first half of it – or four interceptions, especially if it’s in the first half – even if it’s your fault or not, that kind of can seep into your mind. ‘Man, like what decisions am I going to make going forward? Do I protect it, or do I stay aggressive?’ But he battled through," Mahomes said Sports Radio 810 WHB.

"That’s a true test of a competitor, that whenever stuff’s not going your way, to still pull your team to find a way to win and he’s done it at every level – high school, college and now, in the NFL. He’s taking that team and they’ve turned it around fast."

Lawrence has had a resurgent season in 2022 after struggling as the No. 1 pick in 2021. He has completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and five rushing scores. He has proven he belongs among the AFC's top quarterbacks, a place Mahomes has taken permanent residence in.

"So, he’s a great competitor, and we understand it’ll be a great challenge. And they have a great football team that’s been playing playoff football for like over a month now," Mahomes said. 

"So, they understand what it takes to win, and we have to go out there and do whatever we can to win.”

Saturday's divisional-round bout between Mahomes and Lawrence will be Lawrence's second playoff game and Mahomes' 12th. The likely MVP already has a Super Bowl ring and another Super Bowl appearance under his belt, so he knows how big this stage is set to be for Lawrence better than anybody. 

“Yeah, probably just controlling emotions. You win a big game, your first playoff game. You can’t be satisfied," Mahomes said about the lessons of his first playoff game.

"I think that’s the biggest thing. And so, yeah, other than that, it’s just football. You have to just come back and play the next week and find a way to win that next one.”