Jaguars vs. Commanders: 5 bold predictions for Week 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play against the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season and they should feel good about their chances. Most analysts at CBS Sports see the Jags winning. On the other hand, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media thinks Washington will earn their first victory of the year because they have had the same coaching staff (and continuity) in place for three seasons.

Regardless of the outcome, Jacksonville should show significant improvement on both sides of the ball one year after ranking near the bottom of most meaningful categories. With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for Week 1.

5. Jaguars running back Travis Etienne will log over 100 scrimmage yards

It’s easy to forget that Travis Etienne hasn’t played in the regular season after missing his rookie year with a Lisfranc injury but that will change Sunday. The Commanders’ defensive front will make it very difficult for Jacksonville to run the ball but the former Clemson Tiger will showcase his ability to break off big runs.

Back in college, Etienne had 55 runs of 20 yards or more and while it might be difficult to have that many in the NFL due to the increased talent level, he should still bring a big-play element to the Jags’ offense in Week 1. This will in turn help him rack up more than 100 yards from scrimmage.

The one thing Jacksonville must do against Washington is establish the run. Yards might be hard to come by at first, but if they insist, Etienne will start gaining them in chunks.