Trevor Lawrence crossing line (of scrimmage) with too much frequency

Imagine how effective Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence would be if he didn’t throw the football after crossing the line of scrimmage.

We kid … kind of.

Lawrence was called for his third career illegal forward pass last week against Cleveland and all three have been in the last 18 games. He was flagged at Cincinnati and against Kansas City last year.

Lawrence had no such penalties in his first 73 regular season/playoff games. Compare his 81-game career total to: Tom Brady (two in 383 games), Matthew Stafford (two in 253), Josh Allen (three in 145), Patrick Mahomes (two in 148), Lamar Jackson (none in 125) and Jalen Hurts (none in 104).

What is coach Liam Coen’s theory?

“Sometimes, when you’re playing fast and you’re on the run, things

are going fast,” he said. “Something I’ve talked to (Lawrence) about, and trying to work through with him, is, ‘You’re fast as it is. You can run, you can cover ground being as large as you are so that when you get on the move, you don’t need to be going 100 mph; you can be at 85% and still be running away from people.’

“To try to slow him down a little bit is something we’ve talked about. It’s something, unfortunately, that has happened to him a few times and something I know he doesn’t want to continue to put on tape.”

The rest of Lawrence’s Week 1 game was clean per my charting. Throwing at least 16 “air” yards downfield, he was 5 of 7 for 119 yards and two touchdowns and on throws of at least 11-15 “air,” yards, he was 3 of 3 for 44 yards and one touchdown.

About the Jaguars/NFL

1. Rookie ready to go: Defensive end BJ Green sustained a right elbow injury trying to make a tackle on the opening kickoff last week and is out a minimum four games. His absence will create a role at Denver on Sept. 20 for undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr., who was inactive against Cleveland.

“I learned a lot (by watching) and how you create turnovers by running to the football and having a high motor,” Thomas said. “I’m definitely putting that toward my game so I can have the same results.”

Did regular-season game speed seem faster than the preseason?

“Oh, most definitely,” Thomas said. “It was a lot faster. Everybody in the pros is faster and quicker. It was a huge jump from the preseason.”

MORE FROM RYAN O'HALLORAN: Jaguars return to Denver with Sean Payton's words still ringing

2. “Savage” mindset: Asked about defensive end Travon Walker, Coen said: “He can be a savage when he really wants to be. When he’s going and he’s staying low (leverage-wise) and coming off the rock and not hesitating and just going and causing havoc, he can be that way.”

In the win over Cleveland, I charted Walker with one knockdown and 1 1/2 pressures in addition to his sack.

Walker’s response to Coen’s analysis?

“I feel like I’ve been a savage my whole life; it’s just my personality and how I go about life and football,” Walker said after practice on Sept. 17.

3. Kiser’s return: On the third play of team drills during the first practice of training camp on July 29, Jaguars linebacker Jack Kiser sustained a right knee injury.

“When you have a long offseason and you’re highly motivated to come back and play football and you go down on the first day, it’s tough,” Kiser said.

Kiser was told he would miss 4-6 weeks and he was waived on Aug. 30 and signed to the practice squad the following day.

“They said, ‘We’re going to waive you here, but we think we can get you back and we want you back and we want you in the building,’” said Kiser, who didn’t wear shoulder pads in practice until Sept. 9.

Kiser was elevated to the active roster on Sept. 16.

4. Big cheering section: It’s 422 miles from Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher’s hometown of Aurora, Nebraska, and Denver, but he expects “a lot of people,” to make the trip west for the Jaguars-Broncos game.

“A lot of friends; we might fill the whole stadium,” he said. “I might be playing for free that game and asking for Venmos.”

5. Week 1 data:  According to the NFL, 204 colleges were represented on Week 1 rosters, led by Ohio State (56), Alabama (55), Georgia (52), LSU (44) and Notre Dame (40). Florida was tied for ninth with Oregon (36). Florida State was 27th (19). … Lawrence was one of 23 first-round picks to start at quarterback, including one of nine first overall selections. … The Jaguars’ average age was 26.04 years, fifth-youngest in the league.

6. Extra points: A kind of NFL note. Can’t there be a better time/day to play the U.S. Open men’s tennis final than 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13 (first NFL Sunday)? I recommend playing the match at 3 p.m. on Monday as a lead-in to the Monday night game. … Broncos coach Sean Payton’s teams have lost 12 regular-season games by at least 21 points (including 31-10 to Kansas City in Week 1); his teams are 7-4 in the following game. ... Jacksonville native Tim Tebow will be at Mile High Stadium Sept. 20 for the first time since the Broncos' January 2012 playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and serve as Denver's "Alumni Flag Planter."

Weekend selections

Florida State (plus 19 1/2) at Alabama: Athletic director Mike Alford’s turfing was merely the first domino in a football reset at FSU. Alabama 40-17.

Florida (minus 2 1/2) at Auburn: I like Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner over Tigers defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Florida 28-24.

LSU (minus 3) at Ole Miss: The Lane Kiffin Bowl in Oxford. LSU has better personnel. LSU 30-20.

Jaguars (plus 2 1/2) at Denver: Make it two wins at Mile High in a span of 10 months. Jaguars 27-20.

Cincinnati (plus 2 1/2) at Houston: The Texans’ defense was embarrassed last week so expect them to respond to avoid another 0-2 start. Texans 24-13.

Records: Straight — 2-3 last week (11-5 season). Spread — 2-3 last week (3-12; should I just give up?).

Contact O’Halloran at [e-mail] or on X at @ryanohalloran. Listen to Ryan on 1010AM on Tuesdays (6:35 p.m. on “Into The Night"), Thursdays (1:15 on "XL Primetime") and Fridays ("First Coast Football Friday" 4-7 p.m.).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence crossing line (of scrimmage) with too much frequency