Week 3 Awards from the Jaguars' win over the Texans

Welcome back to Weekly Awards!

Quick programming note: This post was delayed because I was focused on something else. I originally planned to write five in-season columns, but that hasn't left me with enough time to write spontaneous features (like the one linked above) or post on social media (which I'll begin doing very soon – follow Duval 22 on all platforms!). The point is, my content schedule won't be as rigid going forward, but that should be a win/win for everyone.

Anyway, here are the award winners from Week 2.

Most Valuable Player of Week 3: Josh Hines-Allen

Sunday saw another jawdropping performance from Hines-Allen, who has been lights out to start his seventh NFL season and always seems to perform against Houston.

With the Texans pushing to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, Hines-Allen made perhaps the biggest play of the Jaguars' season so far. He got a hand on the ball as C.J. Stroud was throwing it, which led to an interception to win the game.

Hines-Allen ranked second in pressures (7) and fifth in pressure rate (25.9%) among all defensive linemen in Week 3, per Sports Info Solutions.

He ranks first in pressures (19) and third in pressure rate (22.1%) on the season.

Liam Coen said Sunday, "It hasn't quite shown in every stat book, but his presence, what he does in terms of affecting the game both in the run and the pass, has been really, really something that's helped us out ... and also just his practice habits. The way Josh practices, the way that he is in the meeting setting, the way that he lifts. The way that he does everything is really what we're trying to continue to do as a program, and really proud and happy for that defense, especially for Josh."

"I just did my part," Hines-Allen said. "Tried to stay one play at a time and just do what I can for my team, and I saw an opportunity and, yeah. We ended the game the right way."

"It's so hard to win in the National Football League. The mentality I have been wanting to come into this week was that we got to take it. Last week we let that slip away, and we didn't take it, and here was another opportunity for us to go get it, and so for us to go out there and prove who we are ... we're building something very special here. We got to keep capitalizing off that."

There's not much more to add. Hines-Allen was the best player on the field on Sunday, and he's been the best player on the team over the course of the season.

Offensive Player of Week 3: Trevor Lawrence

For a third straight game, Lawrence had a meager stat line. He threw 40 times for 20 completions, 222 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception on Sunday. Yet for a third straight game, Lawrence did what it took to win.

Yes, he joins Baker Mayfield as the only quarterbacks to win a game this season with a completion percentage under 55%. But the Jaguars dropped 5 passes – the most by any team in Week 3 – bringing their season total to a league-high 13 drops.

Yes, his interception was an ugly one, a pre-determined read that was never close to being open. But he threw it after consecutive drops resulted in 3rd-and-10. (While that's still no excuse, it makes the decision more understandable.)

Lawrence had to deal with dropped passes and a ground game that gained 71 yards on 21 designed runs (3.4 yards per carry). The only carry that went for more than 8 yards was when Houston allowed Travis Etienne to score late in the game.

Still, Lawrence led the Jaguars on two touchdown drives – and two more drives that reached the opposing 31-yard line to set up field goal attempts – against a defense that's allowed the fourth-fewest points per drive since the start of last season.

More than anything, he made the play of the day on offense.

In a tie ball game, with two minutes remaining, on 1st-and-10 near midfield, the Jaguars needed points. When Lawrence saw Houston aligned in a blitz look, he called an audible and adjusted the pass protection before delivering a strike with the poise of George Bush to Brian Thomas Jr., who dashed for a 46-yard pickup. Etienne scored the game-winner on the next play.

Here's what Coen had to say about his quarterback after the game.

"Dyami [Brown] goes down ... and then we kind of catch the drop bug a little bit, so your confidence as a quarterback, it wasn't – the timing and rhythm, some of the stuff wasn't on, wasn't there early. Then when it is there, we're not catching it and then so you start to force it a little bit, specifically that third down interception, probably a force.

"But, man, I was very proud that – yeah, he was frustrated, we were all frustrated on the sidelines and communication but there really was none of this (pointing fingers at others) at all. It was just accountability, let's just go play the next play and in a critical moment, that play to BT was all Trevor in terms of the can.

"Like, that was a run play that they had saw blitz on, zero blitz. He gets out of the play. We had a run on. He gets out of it, fixes the protection, picks it up and then we execute the skinny that he had in there and BTJ comes ripping in the window. He delivers it on time."

Coen said Monday, "I've been very pleased with his preparation. He has worked extremely hard throughout the week at studying the plan, doing extra on his own and some of that is really helping us operate. Did it show in every statistical category on Sunday? No, but he is getting us in and out of the right plays.”

Lawrence is doing the hard stuff, from making correct audibles to avoiding sacks (his 10.5% pressure-to-sack rate ranks sixth-best among 36 QBs, per PFF). The box scores numbers will come eventually, especially if the pass-catching core gains consistency.

Defensive Player of Week 3: Devin Lloyd

Through the first three weeks of the season, Devin Lloyd not only looks like one of the most improved players on the roster – he looks like one of its best players, period.

Sunday was his best game of what's been his best season as a pro. The fourth-year linebacker made splashy tackles, was effective as a pass rusher, and recovered a fumble. He even had a huge hit on special teams.

Agent Zero is playin' real good football.

"Devin Lloyd is playing out of his mind right now," Josh Hines-Allen said Sunday. "Him and Foye [Oluokun] both."

“I'm very proud of Devin," Coen said Monday. "We were playing Ventrell [Miller] a little bit because Ventrell had a good camp, it wasn't like it was a negative on Devin, it was just, man, it's good to have more guys that can play. But at this point Devin's not coming off the field the way he's playing right now ... very happy with Devin, and hopefully we can continue to go here [upwards motion].”

Lloyd's 90.2 PFF grade ranks first on the team, third among all NFL linebackers, and ninth among all NFL defenders.

Rookie of Week 3: Travis Hunter

On the surface, the Travis Hunter experiment has been disappointing. Sure, the guy is playing on both sides of the ball – big whoop – but where are the flashes of dominance that he displayed as a Heisman Trophy winner in college? Are the Jaguars going to regret trading up for him?

More than 100 NFL players have more receiving yards than Hunter (76). On routes excluding screens/RPOs/play action, he ranks 95th among 99 wideouts in average separation score, per Fantasy Points. He hasn't lined up in the right spot multiple times per game. And on defense, his pass interference in Week 2 helped the Bengals steal a win.

But it's only been three games. And in each, Hunter has shown encouraging flashes, even if they aren't quite dominant.

His sole catch on Sunday was on a choice route, which has been called for him often this season. Without wasting any precious seconds, Hunter gave the defender a nice shimmy before breaking off his route, securing the football, and saucing two would-be tacklers to convert a 2nd-and-20.

"They called my number," Hunter said after the game. "They gave me the ball, and I did what I always do. I do my job."

On the other side of the ball, Hunter shut down a 3rd-and-4 play in the redzone with sticky coverage on Nico Collins.

Hunter has played very well in coverage, which somewhat explains why fans are underwhelmed by his very young NFL career. If you aren't noticing a cornerback then he's probably doing his job.

The No. 2 overall pick ranks 33rd among 95 cornerbacks in PFF coverage grade (66.0) and coverage snaps per reception allowed (13.0). The latter stat is especially impressive, considering Hunter has been targeted at the sixth-highest rate on a per-snap basis. His 64 receiving yards allowed ranks 26th.

Pretty solid numbers, and again, it shows up on film as well.

Though Hunter has a long way to go to live up to the bounty of draft picks Jacksonville spent to acquire him, it's silly to base his success on something he had no control over. He's doing just fine – and the fact that he is the NFL's first two-way player in decades is no small feat.

Hunter was the Jaguars' best rookie in Week 3 and he's still in the running to win both regular season rookie awards. He has the sixth-lowest odds to win DPOY (+1500) and the 10th-lowest odds to win OROY (+3000) on FanDuel Sportsbook.