How important was it for you to use your mobility today, and how did you feel on the roll-outs and the scrambles scoring two touchdowns?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I felt good. I think that definitely helped us out, me being able to move. In general, that just helps you as an offense when I can escape when needed and extend plays. There was one on fourth down where we decided to go for it; and because I was able to move and get out of the pocket, [RB] D'Ernest [Johnson] did a good job working the sideline. We go the conversion. Big play there. Little things like that happened throughout the game. When you can move and feel good and can do all that stuff, it definitely gives you more options, and I think it was good for us today.
How big of a day did WR Calvin Ridley have today, and did you know going in that he could have that type of day today?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah. Honestly with the guys that we have and the plan every week, sometimes it's hard to tell who is going to have the big week, we got stuff for everybody. But the type of player [WR] Calvin [Ridley] is, as you know, if we get the right look, the right situation for certain plays, you know that he can really take advantage of them. You're kind of I wouldn't say hoping because typically we call them at the right time and we get the right look, but you're just hoping everything lines up. If it does, like it did today for him, he had a great day. Just some great catches, great separation on some of his routes. He did an awesome job. Some tough catches down the field. Just really helped open it up for us, and everybody else did an awesome job too when their number was called. I think it was a full team effort by everybody, but he definitely stepped up to the plate when his number was called, and he had a great day.
Can you talk about the offensive line and how much time you felt like you had? Then, also, getting WR Zay Jones back. I know not necessarily -- he had a big day, but just having him out there to help the other guys and maybe take some of the pressure off WR Calvin Ridley and some of the other weapons.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, the offensive line did an awesome job. I thought protection was great. I barely got touched in the pocket. Obviously on some scrambles, extended plays I did, but as far as in the pocket, I mean, those guys did an awesome job protecting me all day, gave me time. The guys did a great job getting down field, creating separation. When those things marry up, it's going to be a good day for us because you let those guys go time to get down the field, work their routes, and I thought we did a great job taking advantage of the some of the looks that we had. Guys up front can't speak enough on how they did, the job they did, how well they played. That's a really good front. It's really hard to run the ball against them. I thought we did an awesome job. Credit to [OC] Press [Taylor] too of just sticking with the run, and those guys up front kept sticking with it, kept sticking with it. Obviously we had some
no-gainers, some one-yard gainers, or maybe a yard loss, but we kept pounding it, and we were able to spring a few, and that helped us with the play action and all that stuff as well. I thought it was a great job really all the way around. Then having [WR] Zay [Jones] out, this I mean, it's huge. I think he just opens things up. His speed obviously is a threat down the field. He's really smart. I just know where he's going to be. He does a great job making plays when his number is called. Obviously today we were kind of getting him back, getting him back going. Like you said, it wasn't anything crazy numbers-wise, but he has a real affect on this team and the offense when he is playing. He brings a lot of energy. Just a guy that plays the game the right way, and it's great to have him back out there.
The last few games when you weren't able to move as well as you wanted, did that bother you, frustrate you, annoy you just because you didn't maybe feel whole, I guess, or complete?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, this time of year no one feels amazing. You don't feel like you did the first day of training camp, so you're always going to be dealing with things. But, yeah, it's definitely a little frustrating when you have things you feel like are limiting you to whatever extent that may be. Then just from the confidence standpoint of having the confidence to move and take off and do all the things that you -- typically how you play the game. When you feel like maybe you can't do some of that, it changes how you play the game, and I think that's maybe more of the frustrating part. So it felt good today to just be able to cut it loose. Obviously still try to protect myself. Took some hits that I probably didn't need to take outside of the pocket that I probably could have got down running, but it felt good just to go play and let the instincts take over when needed. That was I think a good thing today.
You were pretty adamant last week that you had zero concern about this offense bouncing back. How rewarding is it to actually bounce back after you said I got no concerns about us bouncing back?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, it feels good. I wasn't even thinking about that, but yeah, that was probably the shortest answer I've ever given. That was D-Roc [ESPN Journalist, Michael DiRocco] that asked that, I believe.
He needs to be humbled sometimes.
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It was a good question. We need to as well sometimes. I thought it was great. That's one of the cleaner games offensively we've played. Really complementary offensively, defensively, special teams. Seemed like we stayed on schedule, seemed like we kept them on their heels. We did a great job of mixing up all the different shots, getting it out quick, movements, all that. It was really good.
On the first touchdown run, do you recognize that it's Titans DT Jeffery Simmons coming at you. Did you even notice that, or is it just too fast?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: [LT] Cam [Robinson] did a great job. He was blocking the end, and I was waiting on the concept to develop, and I kind of start stepping to the left, and then I saw Cam kind of throw the guy down. I just escaped, and then you see the D-lineman retracing from the inside. When I saw that outside they were playing some version of man, so they were kind of all chasing those guys going inside. So you have a free lane if you can get away from the big guys up there. He can move pretty good, though. He is a good athlete, great player. I feel like I had the advantage there for sure.
What do you feel it does for your confidence and more importantly, the confidence of the offensive unit as a whole, when you have five or six deep ball completions and that doesn't even count the PI [pass interference] that WR Zay Jones drew down that right sideline?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: Yeah, I mean, that's the name of the game is being explosive and efficient. You've got to have you to have both. You can't just be explosive and you can't only be efficient to where you don't have any explosive plays. That is something that we try to create every week because we know how important it is. You've got to have to have big plays. You've got to be able to get chunks on teams and to get that momentum and to get rolling. You've got to be able to throw the ball down field, but you've also got to be efficient and put yourself in good situations. You can't get behind the sticks. You can't get third and longs all game. All those things are important too. So, you've got to find the best ways to do those things. I thought today it seemed like when we called the shots, we hit them. Where we got a PI [pass interference], like you said, and when we didn't, we were efficient and got the ball in play, took care of the ball. I guess no turnovers today, which was huge. That was something that we needed to clean up more than anything was turning the ball over, and that was a good step in the right direction.
As much as you can take us behind the curtain, since you mentioned about Offensive Coordinator Press Taylor sticking with the run, what were the conversations this week about making sure the running backs were involved, as many as possible, getting you involved in the run game, and maybe even convincing Press that the ball needed to be run more?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I don't think— He didn't need any convincing. [OC] Press [Taylor] did a great job. Every week you want to get the run game going, and you want to stick to it. Some weeks it makes it more challenging. You look at last week and just how bad we played all the way around. It really makes it hard because you're in a hole. Then you feel like you need to throw it, and you've got to get chunks and get back in the game. You know, it's harder to do sometimes than it is to say, and obviously that's your plan—but I just think that all the guys really bought in this week. Tennessee gave us some issues when we played them here at the end of [last season]. Offensively we didn't really have a great day. We didn't run the ball great. I missed some big throws, missed some stuff downfield. They gave us some fits, so I think we all took accountability of that and realized what we needed to do in the run game in order to play better offensively against this group, because it's like anything. If you can't get the run game going, it makes it hard to do anything else. That's where it started. I thought the coaches and players, we all did a great job of just buying in and making it a point.
You shouldered a lot of blame last week and said it was one of your worst games ever. Today you're the first quarterback in team history to have two passing and rushing touchdowns in the same game. Do you have pride in that? How do you feel about your own personal response from what happened last week?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: It feels good. That's it. I mean, really, that's how I feel. I feel great about the work that we put in. We work so hard during the week and [on] putting together a plan every week. On the flip side to do what we did last week, that's one of the worst feelings. Then this week when it does come together and you play clean and you execute and you make the plays and you see guys just playing hard, playing great, making these awesome catches, blocks, runs—It's just fun to watch, and it's fun to be a part of. For myself, obviously, you like having success, and you like playing well. I feel like that's what I should do every week. So, it feels good to do that again and get back on track, but you know, it's short-lived in this league. It doesn't really matter. We've got to go play next Sunday and put together a great
plan and go beat those guys because that's a big game. They're just so short-lived in this league, but I'm definitely feeling great about what we did as a team today. It was a big game.
There had been a narrative growing, former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, I think 49ers DE Nick Bosa, and even Titans LB Arden Key all talking about "Trevor, make him play quarterback, right, take-away his first read."
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I'm not thinking about any of that stuff. I could care less what those guys say, to be honest. That's really my only response to that. It doesn't matter. If those guys think I'm the best thing in the world, it doesn't matter either. So [it] doesn't really matter. I love Arden [Key], former teammate—it hurts that he said that, but no, I don't care. It's about how you perform on Sunday. It's not about what other people say, but if you want to change the narrative, then change the narrative and play better. So, I think there are things that obviously I take accountability on. My main goal is to win, though. We're sitting at 7-3. We're in a great spot. We've got to keep this energy and this attacking like we did today every week. We've got to finish this season. We have seven games left. A big one next week with Houston, playing really good football. All I care about is winning, so I don't really care what people think I can or can't do.
Why are you guys so good at bouncing back, changing the narrative after a game like last week? Is it Doug [Head Coach Doug Pederson], what he does during the week, or is it kind of the self-run leadership that you guys have in the locker room?
TREVOR LAWRENCE: I think it's all those things. I think everyone is really synced up. We're all on the same page. Communication is really great after wins and losses. I think we're really accountable and that makes a difference. We don't have guys that shift blame. We all understand everyone has a part in wins and everyone has a part in losses. It's never on one or a couple guys. I think that this team does a great job of understanding that and has the right mindset in bouncing back after rough games. And we all just shoulder some of that blame and just stick together. I think that's something that we've done a great job of. We've had some adversity going back the last couple of seasons, and we've been good at responding, and we have to keep doing that. That's what the good teams do, you know. It's hard to go undefeated in this league. There's been, what, one team to do it. You're going to have weeks where you don't play great, and you've got to find a way to be able to turn the ship and play better the next week.
