Jaguars beat Colts in Week 1, end 5-game losing streak at Indianapolis: 3 takeaways
• Instead, a few not-so-good things stood out in Week 1
It wasn't easy but the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 of the season opener, and in the process, they ended a five-game losing streak as a visitor. A 5-point favorite for the game, the Jags struggled to put Indy down, and at one point the game was 14-14.
At one point, the Colts were leading 21-17 thanks to a fumble recovery that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner took to the end zone. However, the Jaguars were able to turn things around to beat Indianapolis 31-21. With that in mind, here are three takeaways from the Jaguars' first game of the season.
Don't expect Jaguars RB Travis Etienne to lose carries to rookie Tank Bigsby soon
One of the biggest plotlines surrounding Jaguars' training camp (and later the preseason) was rookie Tank Bigsby's ascension on the depth chart. A third-round pick in this year's draft, the former Auburn Tiger did enough throughout the offseason to earn the primary backup role behind Travis Etienne.
But when it was time for Bigsby to deliver, he came crashing down. He failed to secure a pass that led to an interception early against the Colts. He later fumbled and the Colts promptly got ahead on the scoreboard. To make matters worse, he wasn't effective as a runner, toting the rock seven times for a measly 13 yards. He did score a touchdown later in the but that doesn't take away the fact that he hurt his team early on.
In there.#JAXvsIND on FOX pic.twitter.com/iwS3DzVlkN
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 10, 2023
Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how the coaching staff handles Bigsby. Does D'Ernest Johnson, who signed a one-year deal in free agency, get promoted? Or do they keep giving the rookie running back chances?
One thing is certain, you can put to rest those offseason talks about Bigsby supplanting Etienne as the top back in the backfield, at least for now. Keep in mind that this is Bigsby's first game as a pro and there's a chance he'll be fine. For the time being, the Jaguars will most likely keep riding with Travis Etienne, who fared well despite not having optimal protection against Indy.