Jaguars beat Steelers: Travis Etienne and 4 other winners, 2 loser from Week 8

The Jacksonville Jaguars did it. They went into Acrisure Stadium and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-10. The weather didn't make things any easy and the Jags had to overcome several mistakes they made early in the game but they still found a way to win.

Following the game, head coach Doug Pederson praised his players for how he's handled all the travel they've had, and rightfully so. They first traveled to London to play two games. They later returned home to take on the Colts before playing the New Orleans Saints in a short week at the Superdome, They just finished disposing of the Steelers on the road.

Now, the Jaguars are 6-2 for the first time since 1999 after beating Pittsburgh. These five players made it possible.

No. 5 Jacksonville Jaguars winner vs. the Steelers in Week 8: Travis Etienne, RB

Travis Etienne scored two touchdowns in each of the past three weeks and there was a chance he would tie Hall-of-Fame running back LaDainian Tomlin's record of four straight games with multiple touchdowns if he did it again in Week 8. In the end, Etienne wasn't able to tie Tomlinson but he still had a huge role in the win.

Although Etienne left briefly with an ankle injury, he got a big workload, toting the rock 24 times for 79 yards. His biggest moment though came when Trevor Lawrence found him for a 56-yard touchdown reception that put the Jaguars on top.

Eight weeks into the 2023 season, it's fair to say that there's no other player on the Jaguars offense — Trevor Lawrence notwithstanding — that has had a bigger impact than Travis Etienne.

No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars winner vs. Steelers in Week 3: Andrew Wingard, S

Safety Andre Cisco has become a playmaker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he missed Week 8 with a hamstring injury. On the bright side, the secondary didn't miss a beat. Andrew Wingard filled in for him and made the most of his opportunity to play.

After struggling to move the ball early in the game, the Steelers offense woke up in the second half. Trailing 17-10, Mitch Trubisky, subbing for Kenny Pickett, tried to stretch the field, throwing a pass to (former Jaguars) wide receiver Allen Robinson. But Andrew Wingard wasn't having any of it. He intercepted the pass, cooling down any momentum Pittsburgh had built.

In the offseason, Wingard was named team captain because of his impact in the locker room. In Week 8, he also showed he can also lead on the field.

No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars winner vs. the Steelers: Darious Williams, CB

Cornerback Darious Williams has shined this year. Last year, he struggled early but eventually hit his stride. He's gotten much better since the end of the 2022 season. You could even make the case that he's the team's top cornerback right now.

Dating back to last year, Williams has excelled at batting passes. In 2022, he lead the team with 16. In just eight games this season, he's already tallied 14. The Jaguars' PR account on Twitter noted that he's got a streak of nine straight games — currently the longest in the league — with at least one pass defensed dating back to Week 18 of the 2022 season.

Williams has been all over the field this season and Week 8 was no different. It's time he's discussed as a legitimate Pro Bowl candidate.

No. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars winner vs. the Steelers: Evan Engram, TE

For a moment, it felt tempting to include tight end Evan Engram in the "loser" column. He made several mistakes early in the game but he overcame them and came up with a handful of huge plays in the second half. That's worth recognizing. How many players do you know who can remain unfazed when facing adversity? Engram could've easily let a facemask penalty and a lost fumble get into his head but he didn't.

In the fourth quarter, Engram had two big plays, almost back-to-back. The first one went for 15 yards and the later one for 34 yards. He finished the 10 receptions for 88 yards.

Moreover, Evan Engram eclipsed 4,000 yards for his career. That's more than enough to include him in the "winners" column.

No. 1 Jacksonville Jaguars winner vs. the Steelers in Week 8: Josh Allen

Before the game, head coach Mike Tomlin talked about the challenge that came with containing Travon Walker and Josh Allen. Pittsburgh did attempt to slow both of them down but to no avail. Walker had a sack early in the game and consistently brought the heat. The former Georgia Bulldog finished the game with a sack and now has as many as he had as a rookie (3.5). Although there's work left, it's fair to say that he's getting better by the week.

But as productive as Walker was against the Steelers, Josh Allen was as dominant, if not more, than his teammate. Allen continued his quest to join the upper echelon of pass rushers. He had two sacks in Week 8 and now has nine for the season. He's on pace to break the 10.5 sack record he posted as a rookie in 2019. Maybe the Jags don't need to add pass-rush help at the trade deadline after all.

No. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars loser vs. the Steelers in Week 8: Trevor Lawrence, QB

Trevor Lawrence has mostly avoided mistakes this season but he's not impervious to having a slip every now and then. It happened against the Steelers in Week 8. On the Jaguars' fourth possession, the offense got to the Pittsburgh six-yard line with a good chance to leave with points, probably a touchdown. However, Lawrence threw a pass to wide receiver Calvin Ridley in triple coverage and was intercepted. That was Jacksonville's second consecutive drive in which they turned the ball over.

That said, Lawrence wasn't bad. In fact, he went 24-of-32 for 292 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Furthermore, the Jags got the win, which is the bottom line, right? Still, Lawrence would surely like to have that throw in the red zone back.

No. 1 Jacksonville Jaguars loser vs. the Steelers in Week 8: Tank Bigsby, RB

When Travis Etienne left the field, rookie Tank Bigsby had an opportunity to shine. If he delivered, he could've shown he could be trusted. Ultimately, he came crashing down. Not long after Etienne left, Bigsby fumbled the ball. Fortunately for the Jags (not so much for Bigsby), Etienne eventually returned.

Bigsby was supposed to play a complementary role to Etienne but he's failed to execute when called upon. He made a couple of puzzling mistakes in the opener and he proved in Week 8 that he's got a long way to go before the coaching staff can consistently get him involved in the offensive game plan.

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