The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a fantasy football owner’s nightmare so far in 2022. Wide receivers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Marvin Jones have all taken turns disappearing, while Jaguars coach Doug Pederson doesn’t seem to know what to do with running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne.
In the first three weeks, Robinson was on the field for an average of 41 offensive snaps per game, racking up 230 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and one receiving touchdown. In the last two weeks, he averaged 26 snaps, nine carries, and 28 yards.
Etienne, 23, took a back seat to Robinson early in the season before getting a season-high 40 snaps in Week 5. But even that wasn’t enough as Pederson told reporters after the game that he messed up by not giving the ball more to Etienne, who finished with 114 yards on only 13 touches.
So now what?
Robinson is still at the top of the depth chart and will likely continue being the Jaguars’ back on rushing downs. Etienne appears set to spell him on third downs and passing situations.
“Sometimes you sit there and go, ‘Okay, who gets the ball now? Who gets the ball next?’ It’s a good problem to have, but at the same time you do what’s best for the football team,” Pederson said last week. “We’ve talked about this before, whoever has the hot hand during that game, you might give him a few more touches, but ultimately, we’re trying to win the game.”
Etienne getting the majority of the snaps in Week 5 was mostly because Pederson was riding — not enough, mind you — the “hot hand” after the second-year back picked up 68 yards on his first three touches. Don’t expect his performance against the Texans to mean Etienne is taking over as the Jaguars running back who will get the most touches in 2022.