How the Jaguars' Hopeful Offensive Recharge Could Start With Travis Etienne

With the Jaguars scoring two touchdowns in the last two weeks, how does the unit believe a sparking of their previous success could start with Travis Etienne?

Each time Travis Etienne touched the ball in Week 5, it felt like he was just a step from breaking the long, electrifying touchdown run that was his Clemson trademark. With each carry, he seemed closer and closer to the game-changing highlight. 

If that is what it felt like watching Etienne, how did it feel for the second-year running back when he ran it?

"I feel like that every time I touch the ball", Etienne told reporters in the locker room on Wednesday. 

Etienne had the best game of his 2022 season in a 13-6 loss to the Houston Texans, producing 114 of Jacksonville's 422 yards on 13 touches, good for 27% of Jacksonville's total yardage on 17.8% of their total plays. Whether through the air or on the ground, the second-year back was able to rattle off explosive plays, including helping the Jaguars earn their first two first downs after a slow offensive start.

"He’s understanding his role, he’s understanding his responsibility within the offense, he understands the offense," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Wednesday. 

"Even where each week, where we’re trying to use him within the framework of a formation or play, and he’s done a nice job with that. He’s handled it well, and when he’s had an opportunity, he’s impressed, and we’ve got to keep him going.”

Etienne's snaps have steadily increased every week since Week 1, with the Jaguars managing to balance both him and James Robinson in the offense. And in Week 5 when the rest of the offense was mostly inefficient, Etienne proved to be the spark that could sometimes awaken the sleeping giant.

Sunday vs. Houston was a quiet but important development of Etienne's season to this point. The Jaguars' offense hummed for the first three weeks of the season, leading to little questions about Etienne's usage as the former first-round pick averaging 10.5 touches per game over the first month of the season. 

But on Sunday vs. Houston when the Jaguars' offense had its worst output of the season in terms of points and overall down-to-down consistency, Etienne was able to pull them out of the muck and get them back on track to what they had been in the weeks before. 

Etienne's 2.46 rushing yards over expectation was fifth among all running backs last week according to NFL's Next Gen Stats, with Etienne being one of just a handful of running backs to record multiple rushes of 10 yards or more last week.

Travis Etienne was a sparkplug for the Jaguars' offense. With more explosive plays needed in both areas of the offense, he could provide a lot of answers pic.twitter.com/rbEm6pi7Vh

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) October 13, 2022

"It’s a boost. It helped us Sunday as we moved the football. Early in the game he got some big runs there, just like James a couple weeks ago, but that’s all a spark, sometimes, you need," Pederson said. 

"You’re just looking for one guy or one side of the ball to make a play, and he has been able to do that for us, and our goal now is to finish those drives in the red zone. That’s been kind of the struggle, especially last week, and we’ve got to make sure we do a better job there.”

"I feel we all take pride in making plays in the NFL. And if I could be the one to provide that spark, I mean, that's a great job," Etienne said. "But that's just me just being the best that I can be and just doing my job. So that's why I'm here."

Etienne entered the season with a lot of both excitement and curiosity. The former No. 25 overall pick and Clemson star missed his entire rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, leading to 2022 being his first time on an NFL field. And while the preseason and early regular-season had their fair share of teachable moments, Etienne has appeared to settle into his role.

"Yeah, I thought that is what it's all about, just steady improvements and being consistent, and just find a way to make plays week in and week out. And I feel like, the more reps I get, the [more] comfortable I get," Etienne said. 

"I mean, this is year two, but this is my first time on the field. So I feel like I am actively getting reps. So what just to see that growth and just continue to just trust my process and trust in the work that I put in."

Etienne's comfort is something he isn't seeing alone. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has seen Etienne run the ball more than anyone in the Jaguars' organization after their time together at Clemson. The confidence he saw in Clemson's backfield is now the same confidence he is seeing from Etienne as he dons teal.

"Yeah, I think he’s running the ball great right now with a lot of confidence. I know all of us around him have a lot of confidence in him, especially the coaches really love how he’s progressed," Lawrence said. 

"I’ve known he’s a great player, but it’s been cool to see him settle in. He obviously didn’t get the experience last year, so it took him a little while to settle in through preseason, and he looks great. He’s running great, has that burst. He's really explosive and just helps us in a lot of different ways, and I think he’s starting to really master the offense, especially, so we can do a lot with him, so it’s been great.”

With the Jaguars' offense scoring nine touchdowns over the first three weeks, the last two weeks has seen just two, both scored by Jamal Agnew in Philadelphia in Week 4. As the NFL gets more tape on the Jaguars' scheme and personnel, adjustments will have to be made. Etienne has a chance to be that adjustment.

"We know his skillset is certainly that way. He’s kind of the guy that when you get the ball out in space, everybody kind of stands up for a second to see what’s about to happen because we know he’s got that ability," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said on Thursday. 

"I think it’s one of those things, I think it’ll happen for him at some point where he really gets a big explosive. Obviously, a couple the other day where he was able to get on the edge and get the ball out in space. You see his work every single day prepares him for these opportunities and then he just keeps performing better and better and as a unit, that’s what we want to do as well.”