Patriots Must Slow Down 'Comfortable' Trevor Lawrence This Week

FOXBORO — Trevor Lawrence has really blossomed into a true NFL quarterback these last few seasons, and the New England Patriots have taken notice.

Drake Maye, who told reporters Wednesday that he met Lawrence — now the Jacksonville Jaguars gunslinger — on a recruiting trip back to Clemson. He's seen him grow since they first met back in 2024 (a 32-16 win from the Jaguars in London).

"He was playing great football at Clemson, and I crossed paths with him a little bit," Maye said. "So, I’m a big fan of his game. I like the way he keeps on getting better year after year. You can see in the offense, especially with Coach (Liam) Coen, of him just growing and making plays. He can make a lot of different plays."

Like Maye, he's also got that athletic ability to make things difficult for opposing defenses. Maye sung his praises.

"He's mobile, can throw on the run and throw in the pocket," Maye said. "I’m looking forward to playing a guy that, he was in college when I was in high school that I looked up to, and I really enjoyed watching him play."

Lawrence has looked good to open up 2026, going 35-for-62 with 434 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one interception through two weeks. He's been able to find Parker Washington and former Patriots fan favorite Jakobi Meyers a lot en route to their 1-1 record.

Jan 2, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs the ball against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

What Vrabel Has Seen From Lawrence:

If the Patriots want to hand Jacksonville their second-straight loss, a lot of it comes from how they can minimize Lawrence's impact.

"I think he is just much more decisive and comfortable," Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said. "I think you could always count on some turnovers, maybe three or four years ago. I don't think that is necessarily the case now. He has done a really fantastic job of being able to move the ball downfield, but keep it out of harm's way.

"He's decisive when he scrambles. It's a guaranteed first down, if not longer when he decides to scramble. Those aren't even the designed run plays. Those are drop back passes that turn into play extensions, and he is either keeping his eyes downfield and hitting somebody, or he's decisive and he is willing to scramble. So, I just see a lot of maturity, and he is playing at a high level."

Lawrence opened up his NFL career with 17 interceptions as a rookie in 2021 — three of those coming in New England in the season's penultimate game. He rebounded, throwing just eight in his second season. The Patriots — who forced two turnovers in their Week 2 win — will have to get the 26-year-old back into his old ways.

The Patriots have a tall task ahead of them, especially when you take a peek at the initial injury report. The team was missing Dre'Mont Jones (shoulder), DaQuan Jones (personal) and Quintayvious Hutchins (knee) from practice on Wednesday. A pass rush — one that's taken some people by surprise two weeks in — is looking depleted right now.

But the Patriots have to adjust, and figure out how to limit Lawrence — who made the postseason a season ago after winning the AFC South.

"I think we are going to continue to play really good offenses," Vrabel said, "so I know that every week is a huge challenge, and this week is going to be against an explosive team that thrives on X plays."

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google