Trevor Lawrence Stock Continues to Rise Despite Loss to Bengals

The Jaguars still have a lot to figure out this season, but Trevor Lawrence seems to be growing more comfortable in Head Coach Liam Coen's new system.

Sep 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars took a severe hit in confidence following their Week 2 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals. They came into the clash as clear underdogs against another prospective playoff team in the 2025 NFL season.

However, not many would have picked them to lose had they known ahead of time that Joe Burrow would play just one quarter, that the Jaguars would put up 400 total yards of offense, and that the defense would pick off Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning three times.

Many concerns popped up about this Jacksonville team by the time they ultimately fell, 31-27, to Cincinnati. Liam Coen has reasserted that he's a brilliant offensive mind in this league, but some of his questionable decisions in Week 2 have people wondering if he was ready to make the jump to head coach. Drops continued to plague Brian Thomas Jr., and even more worrying was the fact that he looked terrified of contact on some of them.

One player who actually gained some optimism in the loss was quarterback Trevor Lawrence. After a poor statistical showing in the season opener against the Carolina Panthers, he bounced back versus the Bengals, flashing his potential in Coen's offense.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) carries the ball as Carolina Panthers linebacker Trevin Wallace (32) defends during the second half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Trevor Lawrence rising

In the 2025 NFL season opener, quarterback Trevor Lawrence led a commanding 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. However, he didn't have the best statistical output, finishing with just 178 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 19-of-31 passing.

He wasn't able to get the victory in Week 2, but did bounce back in terms of individual numbers. He put up 271 yards and three touchdowns on 27-of-41 passing against the Cincinnati Bengals, although he also threw two interceptions. Still, it was a step forward for Lawrence, who climbed two spots to 17th in The Athletic's latest quarterback power rankings,

According to @PFF, Trevor Lawrence now has 122 drops throughout his #NFL career.#Jaguars have a 8.4% drop % in that time. pic.twitter.com/ip2iSYZZix

— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) September 15, 2025

ESPN's Mike DiRocco outlined what he saw from T-Law in Cincy:

"Lawrence has been far from perfect -- he's completing only 58.9% of his passes and has thrown three interceptions this season. But Coen has said after each game that Lawrence has run the offense efficiently, changed plays correctly when needed and made throws into tight windows. He has also been hurt by a league-high five drops from his receiving corps. Coen wants to see more consistency from his starting QB, but he also said, 'We can win with [Lawrence] playing like that.'"

Hopefully, the fifth-year quarterback will only continue to rise up the QB ranks throughout the season. He faces a stingy defense against a divisional rival in the Houston Texans for Week 3. A strong performance and a win would do wonders for his outlook.

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