Trevor Lawrence Shines, Throws 2 TDs in Jaguars' 34-14 Win vs. Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence saved his best preseason performance for last, throwing two touchdown passes in a 34-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft failed to lead a touchdown drive in either of his first two preseason appearances, but he looked great Sunday and rewarded head coach Urban Meyer's faith in him.

Meyer named Lawrence his starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season last week, and Lawrence's status was solidified Saturday when Jacksonville traded backup signal-caller Gardner Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who is working his way back from an ankle injury that cut his 2020 season short, was once again absent from Dallas' lineup and did not appear in any of the Cowboys' four preseason contests.

Jacksonville finished the preseason with a 1-2 record, while Dallas went 0-4.

Notable Stats

Trevor Lawrence, QB, JAX: 11/12 for 139 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT

James Robinson, RB, JAX: 3 CAR for 10 YDS, 1 REC for 2 YDS

Laviska Shenault, WR, JAX: 3 REC for 33 YDS, 1 TD

Garrett Gilbert, QB, DAL: 9/16 for 87 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT

Brenden Knox, RB, DAL: 11 CAR for 47 YDS, 3 REC for 7 YDS

Aaron Parker, WR, DAL: 2 REC for 29 YDS, 1 TD

Lawrence Appears Ready for First Regular-Season Start

Lawrence was widely regarded as one of the most complete quarterback prospects in years during the predraft process, and he showcased his skill set Sunday.

The former Clemson star was nearly perfect against the Cowboys, going 11-of-12 passing for 139 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in three drives.

Although Lawrence was without two of his top wide receivers in D.J. Chark and Marvin Jones, he came out of the gates firing, completing a 38-yard pass to Phillip Dorsett on the opening drive:

Shortly after that, Lawrence threw the first touchdown pass of his young NFL career, connecting with wideout Pharoh Cooper for an 18-yard scoring strike:

Jacksonville had to punt on its next drive, but the 21-year-old phenom was back at it on his third and final drive of the day.

Lawrence's final pass of the preseason was a great one, connecting with Laviska Shenault for a four-yard touchdown to extend the Jags' lead to 14-0:

It can be argued that Lawrence wasn't as impressive as fellow rookie first-round quarterbacks Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones in his first two preseason games.

Part of the reason for that may have been the fact that Meyer limited his snaps in practice and games to work in Minshew before the latter was traded to Philadelphia.

Lawrence turned in one of the best performances by any quarterback in Week 3 of the preseason, however, as noted by Jamal St. Cyr of News4JAX:

ESPN's Field Yates praised Lawrence's showing as well:

Things figure to get much tougher for Lawrence during the regular season when he faces starting defensive players on a consistent basis, but his pure talent was obvious Sunday.

There may be some growing pains along the way, especially playing for a team that went just 1-15 last season, but the Jags seem positioned to be far more competitive in 2021 with Lawrence at the helm.

If nothing else, Lawrence showed Sunday why he should perhaps be considered the front-runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

What's Next?

After both teams make their final cuts, the Jags will prepare for their regular-season opener on the road against the Houston Texans on Sept. 12, while the Cowboys will get ready to play in the first game of the regular season against the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9.