AFC Notes: Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence, Texans

Jaguars

The Jaguars’ season came to a close in the divisional round, as they just didn’t have the horsepower to beat the Chiefs even after QB Patrick Mahomes was banged up. But HC Doug Pederson and QB Trevor Lawrence showed their potential in their first season together and there’s every reason to think the future is bright. Pederson and Lawrence certainly think so. 

“I just told them I was proud of them for the season we put together. Nobody expected us, the Jaguars, to be in this football game – from the beginning of the season to today,” Pederson said via John Oehser of the team website. “Our expectation is to be in these games every year. That is our expectation. This was a good first year for all of us.”

Trevor Lawrence 

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence says that the team is just getting started in terms of what they can do, adding that they will be back in the playoffs next season.

“Equal parts crushed that we’re done playing, that the road ends for us here, and equal parts proud of what we did,” Lawrence said, via JagsWire.com. “You work so hard to get here, nobody thought we’d be here – we had our shot and that’s what hurts. We’ll be back, I’m confident of that. This is more the beginning than it is the end of something. This is just getting started for us, we got a taste of it. Guys are already hungry to get this opportunity again.”

Texans

Texans veteran DE Jerry Hughes believes that the team would benefit most from a defensive-minded head coach who could help the young players the team has to develop and grow.

“[It] would be so fun for us because I’m a defensive player,” Hughes said via Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV. “I love being in the room with those guys, being able to learn just more football. I think that would just help make us a top defense and put everyone in the right frame of mind because of the young talent that we have. Just thinking about Jalen Pitre and Christian and just some of those young guys that can really learn from a great coach with a great defensive mind.”