The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a force to be reckoned with all season, yet you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who showed any care for what they were doing. They entered Week 16 at 10-4 as they went on the road to face the 12-2 Denver Broncos. And while the vast majority of fans and viewers expected the Broncos to pick up their 13th win, it was the Jaguars who walked away with a dominant 34-20 victory.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had another fantastic day, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 14 total touchdowns and zero turnovers in his last four games.
After the win, Lawrence was asked if the Jaguars will finally get respect and if he cares. The star quarterback made it clear he hopes people keep the same energy (or lack thereof) they've had about the team all season.
"I hope not, honestly," Lawrence said. "I hope we don't get any [respect]. Everybody out there just keep it up. It's great."
There have been many in the media who have outright admitted they don't even watch the Jaguars, like Richard Sherman who said as much on his podcast. Plus Kevin Wildes of Fox Sports who said he doesn't care about the team.
“Can I tell you something about the Jags.. Like most of America, I just don’t care," Wildes said on First Things First.
In the leadup to the game against Denver, Broncos head coach Sean Payton even belittled the Jaguars in a comment.
“It’s a smaller market but you see a real good team," Payton said
And while that may not sound like the most harmful comment in the world, the undertone is what the Jaguars and their fans have dealt with for years - getting treated like they are small and unimportant, and now their quarterback seems to be embracing it, as is his head coach who fired back at Payton after the win.
"A small market team like us can come into Mile High and get it done," Coen said via Jordan Schultz.
Lawrence and Coen have made beautiful music together in Year One of their partnership. The former No. 1 overall pick has thrown a career-high 26 touchdowns, and the Jaguars have won 11 games in a season for the first time since 2007.
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