3 Jaguars whose stock is down following their win vs. the Colts in the opener

Sep 10, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4).
Sep 10, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4). / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
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No. 1 Jaguars whose stock is down after Week 1 win vs. the Colts: Tank Bigsby, RB

This feels like nitpicking in what turned out to be a gritty win for the Jaguars. The squad most definitely deserves credit for not throwing in the towel but they'll need to improve in several areas if they don't want to be on the losing end of their next close game.

One such area is the running game. More specifically, the offensive line's ability to pave the way. Against the Colts, the Jaguars' hog mollies had trouble opening lanes for Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. Although the former was able to create plays and even broke off a long touchdown run, he often found himself nowhere to go.

Rookie Tank Bigsby wasn't nearly as successful as Etienne and was mostly unremarkable in his NFL debut. It's true that he found the end zone at one point but he wasn't able to get anything going when he got the ball, finishing the game with 13 yards on eight carries. While not many pundits expected Bigsby to churn out 100 yards, it was a bit surprising to see him finish the game with such an underwhelming stat line.

After all, Bigsby was a standout in training camp. Later in three preseason games, he averaged 5.7 yards. That wasn't reflected in the season opener. To make matters worse, he was responsible for two turnovers. First, he couldn't come down with a catch that ended in the hands of Colts cornerback Tony Brown.

Later, Bigsby recovered a fumble Trevor Lawrence lost only to drop him. Since it was a live ball, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner picked it up and took it to the house to give the Colts a temporary 21-17 lead.

The Jaguars ultimately won and this will be a learning experience but the game wouldn't have been so close if it weren't for the rookie's miscues.

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