Travis Etienne close to becoming 3rd 1,200-yard RB in Jaguars history

Running back Travis Etienne played a big role in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ dominant win over the Houston Texans in Week 17. He began the matchup with 1,000 rushing yards and added 108 on nine carries. The former Clemson Tiger now has 1,1108 yards for the season and has a realistic shot at joining some elite company when the Jags face the Tennessee Titans in the finale.

Etienne is 92 rushing yards shy of 1,200 in 2022, per Jaguars Report’s lead statistician Ryan Michael. If he achieves the mark against the Titans, he will become just the third running back in franchise history to log 1,200 rushing yards in a season. The other two are Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

Etienne registered his fifth 100-yard game of the 2022 season in Week 17 and he only needed one half to achieve it. During the game, he broke off a 62-yard touchdown run, his longest of the year. Following the win, head coach Doug Pederson met with the local media and praised Etienne and his teammates for the play.

“I saw some great blocking, not only by the line but by Christian [Kirk] and Zay [Jones]. They did an outstanding job today in the run game and gave him the ability to spring free to get in the end zone. But that’s what Travis can do. If we can get him space on the perimeter or between the tackles, he’s capable of doing that and it was good to see it. It’s been a while since we’ve got him going like that”.

A first-round pick by the Jaguars in last year’s draft. Etienne missed his rookie campaign after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the preseason. He started the 2022 season behind James Robinson but progressively got a bigger workload and eventually became the Jags’ featured back, which prompted the team to trade Robinson to the New York Jets. Here’s a clip of Etienne’s big run against the Texans.

Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is exceeding expectations in 2022

Trevor Lawrence is rightfully getting the spotlight this season. After all, his play is a huge season the Jags are 8-8 ahead of Week 18. But Etienne’s impact shouldn’t be underlook. After all, the sophomore running back has proven his ability to carry the load.

Back in the offseason, it seemed like Robinson and Etienne were going to be part of a running back committee but the former got most of the workload while the latter registered just 34 in the first four games of the season.

However, he made the most of his playing time and became the Jaguars’ No. 1 running back in Week 7. Since then, he’s toted the rock 159 times for 807 rushing yards and an average o 5.08 yards per carry.

Both Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew have been some of the most dynamic players in franchise history. It’s too early to tell how Etienne’s career will play out but he will have the chance to join them and the 1,200-yard club when the Jaguars take on the Titans.