Trevor Lawrence has reached the point where the New England Patriots are no longer talking about him like a young quarterback still finding his way. They’re talking about him like a problem.
Drake Maye made that clear Wednesday, saying he crossed paths with Lawrence on a recruiting trip back to Clemson and has watched him develop ever since they first met back in 2024, when the Jaguars beat the Patriots 32-16 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."
Maye also pointed to the part of Lawrence’s game that makes life so difficult for defenses: the movement, the creativity, the ability to extend a play and still punish you for it.
"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."
That version of Lawrence has been on display again to start 2026. Through two weeks, he’s 35-for-62 for 434 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and one interception, with Parker Washington and former Patriots fan favorite Jakobi Meyers emerging as frequent targets. Jacksonville sits at 1-1, and Lawrence has been a big reason why.
For New England, the challenge is straightforward: slow Lawrence down, or risk letting him control the game.
"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."
That’s a different quarterback from the one Lawrence was as a rookie in 2021, when he threw 17 interceptions - including three in New England in the season’s penultimate game. He bounced back the following year and cut that number to eight, and now the Patriots are trying to keep him from settling in and doing damage the way he has through the opening stretch of this season.
There’s also the matter of what New England is dealing with on its own side. The initial injury report on Wednesday included Dre'Mont Jones (shoulder), DaQuan Jones (personal) and Quintayvious Hutchins (knee) as non-participants in practice, leaving a pass rush that has surprised some people through the first two weeks looking thinner than usual.
That only makes the job harder against a quarterback who already proved a year ago that he can win at a high level, leading Jacksonville to the postseason after taking 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."
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