JACKSONVILLE – This one matters, even if it's early.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said it's important to remember as much as Sunday's regular-season opener approaches, and that it's never too early to start winning.
Even if it's still just Week 1.
"Every week's crucial," he said.
Lawrence, entering his fourth season as the Jaguars' starting quarterback, spoke to the media early Wednesday afternoon in advance of Sunday's 2024 Week 1 game against the Miami Dolphins. He called the opener against a team that has made the past two seasons "very important."
"Every week is," he said. "You just never know, down the line."
The Jaguars and Dolphins each have finished the last two seasons with winning records, with the Jaguars winning the AFC South in 2022 and missing the postseason by a game in 2023. The Dolphins have made the AFC playoffs as a wild-card team each of the last two seasons.
The Jaguars started last season 8-3 and led the AFC South by two games before losing five of their last six games. each of the last two seasons.
"It's early," Lawrence said. "It's Week 1 and you think you've got 17 games, but at the end of the season you never want to be in a position — think of last year, for example — where you look back. Of course, we finished the season bad, but you also look back to the beginning and you're like, 'Man, we let some games slip early that would have gave us even more room at the end of the season.'
"It's really important. This is an AFC team, too, so that's important, but every game is crucial. You put everything into it, and you just try to go 1-0 each week. You have to keep that tunnel vision for 17 weeks straight. That's what it is, so we've got to start with just one, this week."
Head Coach Doug Pederson, entering his third season with the Jaguars, said he doesn't talk season-ending scenarios with players this early. He also said that doesn't make the opener less important.
"It's Week 1," Pederson said. "A lot can happen between now and Week 18. In my mind, I think of it that way, but when you're talking to the team, I don't want to put that kind of pressure right now. It's Week 1. You just want to play good football and get off to a good start and let's see what happens.
"I don't have those conversations. Not this early."
Pederson also on Wednesday morning reiterated what he said Monday – that despite Owner Shad Khan saying during training camp that "the time to win is now," such conversation creates no added pressure.
"Quite honestly, that's what I was hired to do," he said. "That's what we brought these players in here to do. We're not going to make excuses for why. We just have to go do it. I can appreciate that. It doesn't add any extra pressure or anything like that. We just have to go to our jobs."
NOTABLE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE JAGUARS WEDNESDAY'S MEDIA AVAILABILITY
- Pederson on Wednesday discussed Tuesday's announcement of five permanent captains for the 2024 season: Lawrence, tight end Evan Engram, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, linebacker Foye Oluokun and punter Logan Cooke. "It's a great honor to represent the team this year," Pederson said. "Those five guys really are deserving of this honor of being captains and leading this football team." Pederson also will name a "rotating" sixth captain each week. Said Lawrence, "Being a captain is important. I take a lot of pride in that, and all of our guys do. It says a lot about how your teammates think of you. I'm very appreciative and don't take it lightly. Every season it changes a little bit, the dynamic. For me, obviously, it's a big honor and I know the other guys feel the same way."
- Pederson said the team is close to fully healthy as Sunday approaches, with wide receiver Christian Kirk (calf) expected to be 100 percent. Safety Daniel Thomas (Achilles) was the lone Jaguars player listed on the injury report Wednesday, practicing limited. "We're going to get him out there and move around today and see how he feels and try to ramp up his progress each day," Pederson said of Thomas. He also said defensive end/tackle Arik Armstead should be full after spending much of the preseason and training camp on the physically unable to perform list with a knee issue. "We'll see how the week goes, practice-wise and see how he feels, but he shouldn't be limited in any way," Pederson said of Armstead.
