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    • Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne’s injury could mean more tank Bigsby
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    Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne’s injury could mean more tank Bigsby

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    Tank Bigsby faced Travis Etienne for the first time on Sunday against the Colts.

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    The Jacksonville Jaguars’ rushing attack continues to evolve with the emergence of second-year defenseman Tank Bigsby.

    Over the past few weeks, Bigsby has rushed for 273 yards on 34 carries (8.03 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came against the Colts last week. Bigsby caught one pass for 28 yards.

    Bigsby ranks fifth in the league with 18 forced missed tackles, while three of the four players listed ahead of him have more carries on the season. According to NextGen Stats, he ranks first with +4.2 yards above expected per attempt, ahead of Ravens RB Derrick Henry at +2.5 and is also first in yards after contact per attempt with 7.1.

    INJURY NEWS: Jacksonville Jaguars injury report from Wednesday against the Bears: Travis Etienne (shoulder) limited

    Bigsby is clearly positioned as the team’s power back, while Travis Etienne continues to be the team’s elusive pass-catching back. Etienne has caught 16 passes for 91 yards this season. He rushed for 231 yards on 53 carries (4.4 yards per carry).

    Who is the Jaguars’ defensive lineman? Travis Etienne or Tank Bigsby?

    The Jaguars’ running back remains Etienne, at least according to head coach Doug Pederson when asked after the Colts game on Sunday whether Bigsby will see an increase in carries over the former first-round pick.

    “No. Travis is our guy. Tank had a good game. That’s just how games work. I’m happy for Tank. Great for the offensive line, obviously in some of these situations. Travis is our guy. “Tank had a good game today, however,” Pederson said.

    Jacksonville’s rushing attack has evolved since Pederson took over the team in 2022. While the Jaguars have typically had just one defenseman and another as a backup in past years, this year the team has a trio of defensemen they care about, including D’Ernest Johnson.

    “It’s nice to see from him because as the season goes on you’re going to need two, maybe all three of those guys,” Pederson said Monday when asked about Bigsby’s performance. “I thought D’Ernest did some good things yesterday in pass protection as well when they were pressuring.

    WHAT THEY SAY: Jaguars vs. Bears predictions: NFL experts pick London game

    Last week, Pederson mentioned that Bigsby continues to improve and that it’s not because the team doesn’t trust him, which is why he doesn’t see the field much in obvious passing situations. The team just has a lot of confidence in the other defenders within the rotation.

    “Tank, TJ (Etienne), D’Ernest, guys like that just did it longer, did it more. “Tank just continues to see everything and process everything, but he’s done a great job for us,” Pederson said last Wednesday .

    Does Travis Etienne’s shoulder injury impact his play and availability?

    Etienne has been listed with a shoulder injury for the past two weeks, including before the team’s Week 5 game against the Colts. He injured his shoulder in Week 4 against the Houston Texans and has practiced limitedly since.

    In recent weeks, Etienne usage has slowed.

    Coming into the season, he shot a total of 70, 72 and 69% of the team’s offensive shots through the first three weeks of the season. Over the past two weeks, Etienne has played just 52 total and 38% of the team’s offensive snaps.

    When asked about the injury, Etienne said on Wednesday that he was feeling good and needed to find a way to play through the games.

    “I mean, I feel good. “I feel like I just have to find ways to keep playing the game,” Etienne said when asked about the injury. “Just continue to be a spark for the team and just go out there and make plays when I get the opportunity and don’t worry about it. Just understand that I have a job to do, which is to go out and get a win for the team. So just keep pushing through, seriously.”

    When asked if the injury prevented him from making plays, Etienne replied that it was a “play-by-play situation” and that the injury “comes and goes.”

    “I feel like I just have to find a way to continue to stay healthy and I feel like I have to rely on my preparation throughout the week to get my body in the best shape possible for Sunday .” so I can go out and be on the field for the team,” Etienne said.

    Why Travis Etienne feels like he and Tank Bigsby are a perfect one-two punch

    While fantasy football players might be concerned about Jacksonville’s backcourt layout, Etienne sees it as an advantage for the team’s offense.

    Bigsby and Etienne have different skill sets and complement each other well, giving Jacksonville a new dynamic under Pederson.

    “It’s very important,” Etienne said of going one-two with Bigsby on offense. “I feel like that’s been a bright spot for the team week in and week out, just going out there and having two guys, when the second guy comes in there’s no drop off. I feel like this is just going to help increase our offense further.

    “It kind of puts pressure on the defensive coordinator because now you have to take care of both of us, there’s no drop-off and it opens up the other guys around us. I feel like we kind of have that – we both have different running styles, so we complement each other and I really love what Tank is doing out there.”

    Jacksonville’s rushing offense ranks 11th with 126.2 yards per game and is second in the league with 5.7 yards per rushing attempt.

    Even when the team isn’t running at full speed (38.54% rushing play percentage), they are effective when they can get the ball rolling. This combination with Etienne and Bigsby can pay off for the team.

    “It was huge. They’re both dynamic players who can obviously do everything they can do: give them the ball in the running game, inside the tackles and even on the perimeter and then in the passing game as well. “Screens and Travis are great route runners out of the backfield and Tank is getting better as well, just based on what they can do after contact,” Jaguars receiver Christian Kirk said Wednesday.

    “They are both physical defenders with great contact balance. They’re just huge and for us as receivers in our room it’s even bigger because we know we have to get to the second level and we have to get our blocks because we know those two can jump at any time.

    The Jaguars will face the Chicago Bears in London in Week 6 and will have the opportunity to use both defensemen. Jacksonville will remain in England for Week 7 when they take on the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium for the team’s “home” game.

    Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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