Jaguars RB Travis Etienne scores his first NFL touchdown vs. the Giants

For a moment, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t going to put any resistance against the New York Giants, as they couldn’t stop them from scoring in the first drive of their Week 7 matchup. However, the Jags quickly struck back once the offense got the ball and currently hold an 8-7 lead.

The Giants’ offense borrowed a page from the Indianapolis Colts’ playbook and went with quick passes against an aggressive Jaguars’ defense that couldn’t stop them from moving the ball. Then, quarterback Daniel Jones found wide receiver Darious Slayton on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Cornerback Tre Herndon was on the wrong end of the play, and all the talk about him potentially being a better option than Shaquill Griffin, who missed the game, will cool down considerably in the upcoming days.

The Jaguars wasted no time though, and they put together an efficient six-play, 70-yard drive that ended on Etienne’s touchdown. In that drive, Lawrence spread the ball and connected with wide receiver Zay Jones, tight end Daniel Arnold and Christian Kirk.

In that drive, the sophomore quarterback went 3-of-3 for 48 touchdowns while Etienne racked up two carries for eight yards and the score. Here’s his trip to the end zone, his first one this season.

It was inevitable for Jaguars RB Travis Etienne to score

Etienne should be thrilled he was able to score his first NFL touchdown, especially after missing his rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury. The Jags used the 25th overall pick in the 2021 draft on the former Clemson Tiger because they expected him to add a big-play element to their offense.

Although it took Etienne a year to finally contribute, the wait has paid off. He got just a handful of carries early in the season but the coaching staff couldn’t justify keeping him on the bench any longer, as he’s a threat to make an explosive play everything he’s got the ball in his hands.

Now, the Jaguars must keep feeding Etienne the ball and if they do, they will have a chance to end a three-game losing streak.