Travis Etienne needs big game for Jaguars vs. Browns after struggling in Week 1

Running back Travis Etienne has been a dependable contributor for the Jacksonville Jaguars the past two years. However, he struggled against the Miami Dolphins in the season opener. He'll need to bounce back in Week 2 if he doesn't want to lose carries to sophomore Tank Bigsby.

Etienne had an underwhelming outing against Miami, toting the rock 12 times for 44 yards with one touchdown. Leaving aside his underwhelming average of 3.8 yards per carry, his fumble near the goal line in the third quarter gave the Dolphins a big momentum swing.

Right after the fumble, the Phins proceeded to score on an 80-yard reception to Tyreek Hill. Later in the game, Etienne couldn't convert on fourth-and-1 on the Jags' 32-yard line. Granted, he didn't get optimal blocking up front but the bottom line is that the former Clemson Tiger wasn't able to come through when his team needed him the most.

Whereas Etienne struggled, Bigsby shined, amassing 73 yards on 12 carries. His performance is even more surprising when you take into account that the 2023 draft pick was underwhelming as a rookie, registering 2.8 yards per carry and making a series of mistakes that led to turnovers.

Now, the Jaguars won't outright bench Etienne. In fact, head coach Doug Pederson approached him during the game and told him that they would continue feeding him the football.

Etienne met with the local media on the Wednesday ahead of Week 2. He jokingly said that ideally, you wouldn't want the head coach to talk to him but is glad Pederson did, pointing out that it's great to know he had his support.

"I feel like him coming up to me in the middle game is probably not what I wanted to happen but I'm glad he did," Etienne said. "It kind of shows the belief he has in me and just allows me to keep going out and be myself, not second guess things, just go out there. He had the utmost belief in me. And I just love that he's the type of coach who believes in his players."

On the other hand, Etienne says that there were plenty of positives in Week 1 despite the fact that Jacksonville lost.

"We played really hard. I feel like we fought really hard. I feel like we came and played four quarters. I feel like things didn't go the way we wanted but I feel like we've seen a lot of good things on film. I really grad where we at Week 1. We've got a lot of things we need to work at but I feel like we're on the right pad," Etienne said.

Later in the exchange with the media, the Louisiana native said that he felt that he was doing well up until the fumble.

"In the NFL, especially our team, we get better as a game goes. And I feel like when we came on the second half, I feel like we were weighing them down. It was a hot game. The defense gets tired, that's where the offense is supposed to impose their will. We were supposed to finish and close the game. Unfortunately, we did not do that, but I feel like that's a great recipe for success in the NFL. We're going to continue to improve on that and get better," Etienne said.

Here's the full exchange, via 1010 XL in case you want to give it a look:

The Jaguars could phase out Travis Etienne in favor of Tank Bigsby

Working in Travis Etienne's favor is that he's got a proven track record, coming up clutch when the Jacksonville Jaguars needed him the most. For instance, he moved the chains on a crucial fourth-and-1 in the playoff win against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022.

That's why it wasn't surprising to see them keep giving him carries even after he fumbled. That said, Tank Bigsby also showed in the season opener that he'll step up if called upon.

And that's the thing, Doug Pederson has shown that he's not afraid to go with the hot hand. Back in 2022, James Robinson was the starter but was eventually phased out in favor of Etienne.

While it's highly unlikely that the front office will trade Etienne as they did with Robinson, he could certainly see a decreased workload behind Bigsby.

Ultimately, there's plenty of football left in the season and Week 1 isn't always an indicator of how things will play out. That's why it will be key for Travis Etienne to flush last week's performance and show out against the Cleveland Browns.

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