JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Prior to Liam Coen’s arrival, Trevor Lawrence was known for being an exceptional deep ball thrower, but inconsistent in other areas of the field. With Coen, the very essence of Lawrence’s identity has shifted to being one of the NFL’s most dangerous intermediate throwers.
That isn’t all that changed, however. Under Doug Pederson, Lawrence seemed to avoid the middle of the field. That’s certainly no longer the case as Lawrence, with help from Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, has proven to be among the NFL’s best over the middle.
Let’s take a look at the numbers and see just how much has changed under Coen.
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From 2023-2024, Lawrence attacked the intermediate part of the field on 22.3% of his passes. That’s not bad, but nothing compared to Lawrence’s 26.5% in 2025-2026. In 2026, that’s the difference between being 4th and 16th in intermediate attempt rate among the Top-35 quarterbacks.
But in 2026, Lawrence isn’t fourth. He’s first, attempting 32.0% of his passes between 10-20 yards downfield. Because his overall pass attempts are so low, he doesn’t lead the league in yards (4th), but his five touchdowns are tied for league-best.
Dating back to 2025, Lawrence’s 112 completions and 16 touchdowns in the intermediate area of the field are the best in the NFL. Conversely, Lawrence’s 16.2% deep ball attempt rate from 2024 has been cut in half, down to 8.4% in 2026. In 2024, that 16.2% was second-highest. His 8.4% from this season, however, ranks just 30th among the top-35 QBs.
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It’s hard to say that’s necessarily a bad thing. Lawrence has thrown for 4,115 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions over his last 17 games. Oh yeah, the Jaguars are also 13-4 over that stretch.
Focusing our shift to the middle of the field, Lawrence has been just as deadly to all levels. This season, Lawrence is 44/56 for 549 yards, 6 touchdowns, and two interceptions, according to SumerSports.
For context, that’s good for a passer rating of 128.4. His 78.6% completion rate over the middle is that of a completely different quarterback compared to just a couple of seasons ago. In 2024, his completion rate over the middle was 62.3% with an NFL passer rating of 85.0.
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It would be in bad faith to mention Lawrence’s success over the middle without mentioning Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Brenton Strange. The trio rank 5th, 9th, and 11th in EPA on “in-breaking” routes at their respective positions this season.
Lawrence spreads the ball around a fair bit more than most QBs, but each receiver makes the most of their given opportunities. Heck, even Jaguars’ rookies Josh Cameron and Nate Boerkircher rank Top-20 at their positions in total EPA on ‘in-breaking routes, despite limited opportunities.
The duo has caught 10 of 12 targets for 137 yards and two touchdowns, despite running just 39 combined routes. Many thought the Jags wouldn’t get a lot of value out of their rookie class, but the pair has proven to be incredibly reliable and efficient.
It’s been quite the career turnaround for Lawrence. Once among the league’s best deep passers, Lawrence now has made a name for himself in the intermediate area of the field with help from his arsenal of weapons. As a result, Lawrence has put himself in the MVP race for the second straight season.
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