Jaguars vs. Broncos: Travis Etienne Dominates in First Game Since James Robinson Trade

Operating as a workhorse back, Etienne showed the NFL his capabilities in London.

What didn’t Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne do against the Denver Broncos in London

The sophomore running back quickly showed that he is a dynamic playmaker, rushing for 156 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown during the 21-17 Week 8 loss, while also snagging three additional receptions for 6 yards.

In his first game as the clear lead back since James Robinson was shipped off to the New York Jets, Etienne was the heart and soul of a Jaguars offense that struggled mightly to compete against a talented Denver Broncos defensive unit. His standout performance against a top-ten defense reaffirmed to head coach Doug Pederson that they have to continue to get the ball into the hands of No. 1.

“No, listen he played great today,” Pederson said. “He played tough. He played physical. He’s a good football player, and again, we’ve just got to continue to find ways to get the ball in his hand.”

Etienne’s efforts quickly caught the attention of his fellow teammates. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence believes that this performance is a sign of things to come for Etienne in the Jaguars' offense.

“Yeah, he’s continuing to show what kind of player he is and what he’s going to be in this offense, Lawrence said. “He ran his tail off today, so just honestly proud of that guy. He’s doing some great things.”

For Travis Etienne, this game represented a significant uptick in his usage and workload out of the backfield and on passing downs. While it was a surreal personal moment for the young running back, Etienne felt that it was just a typical day for a player at his position.

“I feel like I’m a running back, and I feel like you ask any running back that question and we get better as the game goes because now they tackle us, so I feel like we get better as the game goes, the offensive line keeps rolling,” Etienne said. “And I want to give my shoutout to them. They played a hell of a game. I feel like as a running back you’re a competitor. Then the team needs you, you make those plays. I feel like throughout the game I just kept getting better and better of just getting in that zone.”

Despite the big game from Etienne, the Jaguars ultimately came up short. For Etienne, while the individual performance was noteworthy, it felt incomplete without the victory to go along with it.

“I feel like just being a competitor, it sucks,” Etienne said. “I feel like when you have an L in the stats it doesn’t matter. Although we did some good things out there, we didn’t come out with a W, so, therefore, I didn’t do enough to win the game. Have to go back to the drawing board, have to watch the film, look at things I can get better at. Feel like there’s a couple of plays I probably could have got a little more out of something, and I have to just critique myself, keep being my biggest critic and keep getting better, so that way the outcomes are not L’s and they’re W’s.”