Jaguars cannot justify reducing Tank Bigsby's role after dominant outing vs. Patriots

The Jacksonville Jaguars were without running back Travis Etienne in Week 7, but their offense didn't miss a bit due to the presence of Tank Bigsby. The former Auburn Tiger logged over 100 rushing yards and had a huge role in the 31-16 win over the New England Patriots. And after yet another impressive performance, the Jags should consider permanently making him the primary option in their backfield even after Etienne returns.

With Etienne missing the game with a hamstring injury, Bigsby got the lion's share of the Jaguars' carries in Week 7. The second-year running back finished with 26 carries for 108 yards with two touchdowns.

D'Ernest Johnson was second on the team with nine carries, and Brian Thomas Jr. had two.

Following the game, Doug Pederson tried to shut down any talks about Bigsby moving up the depth chart, arguing that Etienne is still RB1 despite missing the game.

"I don't think so. I'm not a believer where, or I should say I'm a believer where injury doesn't replace your position, right?" Pederson told the media. "I think you have to have a fair competition for us. We're blessed to have two really running backs right now. And when ETN comes back, he's just as explosive just as good just as powerful, and it's still his job.

"But Tank has done some really good things and, obviously, we're going to continue to find ways to put the ball in his hands too because he's a little different, runner than ETN is."

Etienne is dealing with a hamstring injury. He suited up for the first six games of the season, tallying 56 carries for 230 yards with two touchdowns. That's not a bad statline, but Bigsby has been much better, toting the rock 67 times for 418 yards with four touchdowns.

When you compare their production, Bigsby is hands down the better of the two. In fact, Etienne has been the subject of trade chatter because his second-year counterpart is having a productive year.

Why the Jaguars must keep feeding Tank Bigsby the ball in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a long way to go, as beating the New England Patriots doesn't suddenly turn them into a playoff contender. Having said that, they've had several bright spots this season and Tank Bigsby has been one of them. In their two wins in 2024, the Georgia native has rushed for 100+ yards.

Now, correlation doesn't imply causation. The Jags didn't solely win because of Bigsby, but getting him involved and giving him a big role certainly helped. This is to say that the coaching staff must keep leaning on him even after Travis Etienne returns.

Even when Etienne has been healthy, Bigsby has been the most productive of the two. And contrary to what Pederson says, players do lose their jobs because of injury. Moreover, the Jags wouldn't be reducing Etienne's workload just for the sake of it. They would be doing it because Bigsby has outplayed him.

It's also worth noting that decreasing Etienne's carry doesn't mean that the Jags would outright bench him. There's ample room for him and Bigsby in the backfield.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars need their players to step up, and Tank Bigsby has answered the call. That's why he deserves to get a bigger role moving forward.

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