Coen ‘trending toward’ playing starters vs. CAR

This came in only three quarters of work, as Lawrence spent the fourth frame on the bench with the Jags demolishing the quitting Colts. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, early breathers have been a theme for Lawrence this season as his well-rounded team keeps blowing out less impressive sides. Rather unbelievably, that could now include the Ravens for Week 9, as Baltimore appears down to its No. 3 quarterback for the sides’ short-week Thursday night tilt. That won’t be enough to force Lawrence out of starting lineups, but he can’t be expected to single-handedly win matchups in that environment.

It could have been more, had Liam Coen not settled for a game-tying field goal on fourth-and-short with less than four minutes left in the game. It also could have been more had Lawrence not thrown an end-zone pick to Calen Bullock. At the end of the day, the screen game was dealing and Lawrence was hitting all sorts of in-breakers against a beleaguered Texans secondary. He enters the bye week as a sure-fire QB1 with 1,174 passing yards and 10 throwing touchdowns in his first five games. Last year’s rushing touchdowns appear to have vanished as the Jaguars have gotten better in the red zone, but Lawrence is still playing exceptional football.

Lawrence gave fantasy managers what they needed with a solid box score, but he was not the reason the Jags won this game. Lawrence struggled under pressure, throwing one ugly interception while putting the ball on the ground twice via sack-fumbles. Both were recovered by the Jags. The offense was also a catastrophe in the red zone, though a series of penalties and bizarre play calls are largely to blame there. Down by one with eight seconds left, it looked like the team’s struggles on offense would be too much to overcome. Instead, Ameer Abdullah returned a kickoff 53 yards to set up a walkoff field goal from Cam Little. If the Jags can clean things up after an uncharacteristically sloppy game, Lawrence will remain a mid-range QB1 for Week 6 versus the Texans.

The Jaguars offensive operation was far from clean against the Bengals; the team as a whole tallied 10 penalties for 100 yards by halftime. Lawrence was sacked four times behind a struggling offensive line but still put together an efficient game. He found Brian Thomas Jr. for the game’s first touchdown as time wound down in the first half and found tight end Brenton Strange for seven of his 18 completions. Despite a relatively pedestrian showing, Lawrence comes away with zero turnovers and the win. He will be a top-12 fantasy option for Week 5 against the Eagles in London.

Lawrence’s big statistical day could have been bigger if he hadn’t inexplicably taken a knee at the one yard line on a QB rush with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. Bhayshul Tuten would go on to score a rushing touchdown a few plays later. Lawrence picked apart of the New England secondary with very little pressure in his face, targeting former Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers heavily and connecting with three different pass catchers for touchdowns — including Parker Washington, who had another score called back. Lawrence, with one of the highest weekly floors in the game, will again be a top-12 QB option in Week 4 against Bengals in what should be a high-scoring game.

The Jaguars were relatively run-heavy against Denver a week after the Broncos were shredded by Ken Walker and the Chiefs. Lawrence mostly checked down in this one, targeting Parker Washington a team-high 12 times. Brian Thomas, Jr., meanwhile, had two untimely drops, one that appeared to frustrate Lawrence. Lawrence’s interception came on a poor throw to Washington near the sideline. He’ll look to bounce back next week against a stingy New England secondary.

It was a monstrous offensive showing from the Jaguars, led by Lawrence and his four passing touchdowns. He opened scoring with a 30-yard touchdown throw to Parker Washington in the first quarter, tossing two more scores in the first half. Lawrence flexed his mobility with a lob on the run to Jakobi Meyers for a 32-yard touchdown in the third quarter. With a comfortable lead, Lawrence rested in the fourth quarter, finishing with a whopping 0.72 EPA per play. Nick Mullens tallied three kneel-downs in relief. Liam Coen’s offense will generate many fantasy opportunities across the board, especially when operating as efficiently as it did Week 1. Lawrence built upon his solid 2025 season with an all-star showing Week 1 against the Browns and should be a low-end fantasy QB1 for Week 2 against a tougher Broncos defense.

According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Lawrence’s offseason “was about gaining a graduate-level understanding” of coach Liam Coen’s offense. Last season, Lawrence was rehabbing an injury while attempting to change his footwork and adjust to a new play caller. He is now calmer and “can play more freely the way he did in the second half of last season.” Lawrence was the overall QB1 in total scoring from Weeks 9-18. If Lawrence and his pass catchers can carry the momentum into 2026, Lawrence can once again finish as an elite QB1, this time from Week 1 onward.

Specifically, Coen said Lawrence “did a really nice job taking care of the football,” perhaps throwing fewer than five interceptions across organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. Lawrence also performed well when “running the whole operation, managing the protections and some of the concepts on the field.” With a year of experience in Coen’s system now under his belt, Lawrence said he feels more confident going through his progressions and is doing “a lot less thinking” as plays are unfolding. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski has been impressed with Lawrence’s recall and his ability to guide teammates through concepts that the team hasn’t practiced in quite a while. Positive reports on the Jaguars’ offense continue to roll in. Lawrence warrants QB1 treatment in 2026.

The Jaguars acquired Meyers via trade in Week 10 last year. He then led the Jaguars in targets (63) and receptions (43) until their season came to a close with a Wild Card Round loss to the Bills. Fellow Jaguars WRs Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. have generated buzz in recent weeks, but Meyers should not be overlooked. He still has a chance to repeat as the team’s target leader this season.