The Jacksonville Jaguars have a talented backfield tandem in Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne, but you could make the case that they don't get as much playing time as they should. In the 32-25 loss to the New York Jets, both of them got their name called but saw fewer snaps as the game progressed. Following the game, right tackle Anton Harrison shared his thoughts about the number of runs the Jags called.
Harrison met with the local media after the game and said that the offensive line did a good job whenever they were asked to run block. But because of the way he responds, he doesn't seem to be thrilled with the amount of times they had to open holes for Etienne and Bigsby.
"Yeah, with the runs that was called, I do feel like they were," Harrison responded when asked if the run blocking carried over into the second half. "Obviously, the game didn't go how we wanted. It was in certain situations where we couldn't run the ball, things like that. But all in all, I feel like it carried over."
As you can see in the clip below, Harrison hesitated to give an answer. He might've been looking for a way to avoid stirring the pot. But at the same time, he made it clear he felt that the coaching staff wasn't dialing up enough run plays — something he and his teammates take pride in — and he isn't wrong.
I asked RT Anton Harrison to evaluate the run game that looked very effective in first half vs #Jets… and if it carried over
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) December 16, 2024
“Yeah… with the runs that were called.” #Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/BeGbblnW2M
While both Etienne and Bigsby had a combined 15 snaps between the two in the first half, they amasssed just 10 in the last two quarters. Granted, the Jets had a stout defensive front, but the Jags were doing a good job of churning out yards on the ground.
Moreover, the game was close enough for the Jaguars to stick to the run and eat up the clock. But despite their success, they chose to lean on Mac Jones and the passing game.
At first, the strategy seemed to pay off, as the offense had no trouble moving the ball through the air. However, Jones threw the game-sealing interception with the game on the line.
SAUCE. His first INT of the season seals the win!#NYJvsJAX pic.twitter.com/PE3g4GLiN0
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
In the end, Etienne finished with 14 carries for 65 yards while Bigsby logged 42 yards on 11 totes.
Anton Harrison and the Jaguars' offensive line have played well in 2024
Throughout his coaching career, Doug Pederson has shown an affinity for throwing the football. That won't probably change anytime soon. Although this has come back to haunt the Jags this season, it certainly wasn't an issue against the New York Jets. This begs the question, should they have run the ball more? It wouldn't have hurt, but you most definitely cannot pin the loss on the offensive playcalling.
That said, the offensive line has low-key been a bright spot for the Jaguars this season, which is encouraging when you take into account that the group as a whole was underwhelming last year. The issue is that their superb run blocking has been overshadowed by the team's disappointing 3-11 record.
The silver lining is that the Jaguars have a promising trio of offensive linemen to build off of with Walker Little, Anton Harrison, and Ezra Cleveland in the fold. They'll probably need to look for Brandon Scherff's replacement and add depth in the interior trenches. That said, whoever coaches the offensive line should have ample talent to work with next year.