Tag: Travis Etienne Jr

Prime-time failures don’t bode well for the Jaguars’ immediate future

The Jaguars can’t afford to become a team that shrinks under the bright lights.

The Jacksonville Jaguars won their first three games in the national (and international) spotlight this season. But two prime-time losses in the last three weeks have cast doubt on their ability to perform when the lights are shining brightest.

At the beginning of the season, the Jaguars capitalized on big stages to get back on the right track.

Jacksonville played the Atlanta Falcons in London after dropping games to the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans that put them at 1-2 through the first three weeks. They beat the Falcons 23-7 to reach .500 and start their climb back to the top of the AFC.

Then the Jaguars beat the Buffalo Bills in London to reach 3-2, as they returned to Duval. While Jacksonville hadn’t played in an 8 p.m. slot, they got early-season experience being the featured game.

“It was just so much louder here — just for it to be a regular season game, just for it to be Week 5,” Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. said after the win over Buffalo. “I feel like the intensity, the crowd, everyone was just going crazy.”

Not only did the Jaguars win those games, but they used them to ignite a win streak. Jacksonville won its next game against the Indianapolis Colts before playing the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Another prime-time game, and another win. Jacksonville won a close, 31-24 game to achieve a 5-2 record. The Jaguars then won three of their next four and sat at 8-3 ahead of their next featured game — a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals without Joe Burrow.

Ahead of their first Monday night game since 2011, the Jaguars knew how significant the spotlight was.

“It’s really just approaching it the same, learning to control your emotions,” Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Nov. 27 — a week before the game. “I want the guys to feel relaxed, but at the same time, continue to have that edge that we’ve had the last couple of weeks. … Monday night is a special night. You’re the only game on, everybody is watching you and you want to put your best foot forward.”

Despite Burrow’s absence, Jacksonville lost in front of its home crowd to Jake Browning and the Bengals. While the loss to a backup quarterback looked bad at the moment, Browning’s ascension in the two games has made the result more understandable.

Jacksonville got another shot to earn a prime-time win for the home crowd last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

“It’s exciting for us, but it really honestly doesn’t change much,” Lawrence said a few days before the game. “We still have a job to do, and I look back at the Monday night game. We ended up losing the game and not much to show for playing on a prime-time game and you lose. That’s something where we’ve just got to focus on our job and taking care of business, no matter what time or what day the game is on.”

The Jaguars lost again. They fell to the Ravens in a disappointing 23-7 result. A team that initially thrived under the spotlight has since turned into a team that has come up short on the big stages.

Jacksonville isn’t slated to play any more prime-time games in the regular season, but they’re in the driver’s seat of a close race for a playoff spot.

If the Jaguars advance to the playoffs, their shortcomings in regular season prime-time games will need to be solved, or their postseason run will be a brief one.

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Studs and duds in Jaguars’ 23-7 loss vs. Ravens

Which Jaguars players stood out most to you Sunday night?

The Jacksonville Jaguars fell to 8-6 on Sunday night when the Baltimore Ravens handed them a third consecutive loss.

It was an all too familiar formula that doomed the Jaguars in the 23-7 loss. Despite finding 333 yards of offense, Jacksonville’s only points came on one 65-yard touchdown.

The Jaguars drove inside the Ravens’ 40-yard line five times and the red zone three times, but somehow finished with zero points to show for it. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence fumbled away one of those possessions, made a crucial error that ran out the clock on another, and turned the ball over on downs late in the fourth quarter. The other two were missed field goals.

Jacksonville had its opportunities and simply didn’t come nearly close enough to capitalizing on them. Here are the players who struggled most Sunday as well as those who stood out in the losing effort:

5 best Jaguars player prop bets for Week 15 vs. Ravens

Which Jaguars player do you expect to have a big game tonight against the Ravens?

No team has allowed fewer touchdowns than the Baltimore Ravens so far in 2023.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the tall task of cracking through that defense Sunday night. While the Jacksonville offense has been inconsistent for most of the season and is now trying to function without Christian Kirk, it also found the end zone four times against the stout Cleveland Browns defense.

Jaguars tight end Evan Engram has especially hit his stride with three touchdowns through two games in December.

If you’re looking to get in on the action this week with some player prop bets, we’ve got you covered with a handful of wagers to make on the Jaguars. The following prop bets are available on BetMGM, with the listed odds last updated at the time of publication.

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5 Jaguars players to watch vs. the Ravens in Week 15

Will a Jaguars wide receiver please step up?

Despite quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s active status last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Cleveland Browns in the second of three straight games against AFC North teams.

The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, beat the Los Angeles Rams to earn a third straight victory.

Even though Lawrence played last week, the Jaguars are far from complete. Wide receiver Christian Kirk is likely out for the rest of the regular season and defensive backs Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco didn’t practice Wednesday.

Here are five Jaguars players to watch as they take on the Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 15:

Trevor Lawrence: Jaguars have to get back to running the ball well

An inability to run effectively in recent weeks is making everything tough for the Jaguars offense.

During an undefeated October for the Jacksonville Jaguars, running back Travis Etienne Jr. had a career-best stretch. Over five games, the third-year back had 565 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns.

It’s been a while since the Jaguars ran the ball that well, though.

While Etienne got into the end zone in each of the last two weeks, he has averaged 3.3 yards per carry since the beginning of November. His highest rushing total in the last five weeks came when he managed to squeak out 56 yards against the Houston Texans on 20 carries.

“You have to be able to run the ball,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Sunday. “We have to do a better job. We have to find ways to do that.

“When we were playing well as an offense, that was something that we were doing well. We have to get back to that and just find ways to be efficient and stay on track. We weren’t very good on first and second down today [against the Cleveland Browns]. That gets you behind the sticks.”

Against the Browns, Etienne finished with 35 rushing yards on 14 carries.

“I have to be better for my offensive line,” Etienne said in the locker room after the 31-27 loss. “They’re doing a great job out there, I have to continue to hit it, continue to trust in my discipline, and just keep trusting them. They’re gonna continue to trust in me and we want to get this thing rolling.”

It sure doesn’t seem like Etienne is the one to blame, though. After injuries sidelined both Cam Robinson and Walker Little, the Jaguars lost Ezra Cleveland to a knee injury early in the Week 14 loss. Jacksonville’s offensive line has been banged up for much of the year and ranks 28th in ESPN’s run block win rate. At Pro Football Focus, the Jaguars’ 44.2 team run block grade is the worst in the league.

“[We] have to find ways to improve, possibly getting back to some of the schemes that worked earlier in the season or what helped Travis break free,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Monday. “Obviously, the injury situation on the offensive line has affected that just a little bit, having that continuity up front.

“It’s something that we’re focused on and even with [offensive line coach Phil Rauscher], just again, finding those schemes that have worked in our past and trying to tap back into that to see if we can jumpstart the run game.”

The Jaguars’ Week 15 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, rank 21st in rushing yards allowed per attempt.

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Jaguars rule out 4 players, list 5 as questionable vs. Browns

Trevor Lawrence is one of five Jaguars players listed as questionable for Week 14.

Trevor Lawrence is one of five Jacksonville Jaguars players listed as questionable for a Week 14 game against the Cleveland Browns. The team also officially ruled out offensive lineman Walker Little, tight end Brenton Strange, and cornerbacks Tre Herndon and Christian Braswell.

During a 34-31 Monday night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Lawrence’s ankle twisted awkwardly when he was stepped on by Little. After struggling back to his feet, Lawrence collapsed on the field and threw his helmet in frustration. On Friday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said the quarterback will likely be a game-time decision Sunday.

The other questionable players are cornerback Tyson Campbell, running back Travis Etienne Jr., defensive lineman Folorunso Fatukasi, and running back D’Ernest Johnson.

It’d be a surprise if Etienne, Fatukasi, or Johnson were forced to miss the game in Cleveland, and Lawrence appears to be trending toward playing. Campbell may be the most doubtful of the group.

The Browns had a lengthy injury report too this week, but listed only four players as questionable for Sunday and didn’t rule out any players.

Amari Cooper, one of the four questionable Browns players, leads the team in receiving with 799 yards in 12 games.

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Jaguars list 12 players on lengthy Wednesday injury report

The Jaguars suddenly have a lengthy injury report after a rough Monday night.

A Jacksonville Jaguars team that has been fortunate to avoid injuries for nearly two whole seasons is suddenly facing an avalanche of them heading into Week 14.

On Wednesday, the Jaguars listed 12 players on their first injury report before a road game against the Cleveland Browns.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered what looked like a gruesome ankle injury Monday night, but said Wednesday that he’s feeling “a lot better” and he’s “trying to progress towards hopefully playing” against the Browns.

Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard is also on the injury report, but said that there’s no concern about his availability Sunday.

While Jacksonville has a lengthy report, the Browns’ was even longer Wednesday with 16 players listed.

Three of the Browns’ players who didn’t practice were “not injury related” rest days and offensive lineman Geron Christian practiced in full, but that still leaves another 12 who were out or limited. That group included receiver Amari Cooper who was out due to a concussion and ribs injury.

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7 Jaguars are top 10 at their position in early Pro Bowl voting

Which Jaguars players are you hoping to see in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games?

After just over a week of Pro Bowl Games voting, there are seven Jacksonville Jaguars players in the top 10 at their position.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweeted the full list of voting leaders as of noon Tuesday, eight days after the polling opened Monday, Nov. 27. Voting will continue until Dec. 25.

While there are seven Jaguars in the mix with just under three weeks left, the public vote counts for just a portion of the eventual tally. The votes of fans, players, and coaches each count for a third to determine the final rosters.

Here are the seven who are currently top 10 vote-getters:

Travis Etienne, Tyson Campbell active vs. Bengals in Week 13

The Jaguars listed three of their four questionable players as active.

The Jacksonville Jaguars listed four players as questionable Saturday, but three of them, including running back Travis Etienne Jr., are officially active for Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The only player missing the Week 13 game due to injury is tight end Brenton Strange, who suffered a foot injury in practice.

The team elevated tight end Josh Pederson, son of head coach Doug Pederson, from the practice squad Monday.

Another notable player absent from the list of inactives is defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton. After missing the first couple months of the season due to a bacterial infection, Hamilton returned in Week 8. However, he played just two games before he was a healthy scratch in the last two weeks.

Now Hamilton is set to make his return to the lineup and the team sat down Angelo Blackson, making room for plenty of snaps.

For the Bengals, there were no big surprises.

On Monday, the Bengals placed starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.

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Jaguars list 4 players as questionable for Monday vs Bengals

Travis Etienne Jr and Tyson Campbell are questionable for Monday night, although both are expected to play.

The Jacksonville Jaguars listed Tyson Campbell, Travis Etienne Jr., Luke Farrell, and Brenton Strange as questionable for a Week 13 game on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals.

While the official status is up in the air for all four players, it appears unlikely that Etienne or Campbell will sit out Monday.

Earlier in the day Saturday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters that Etienne will play Monday, despite a ribs injury that limited him in all three practices this week. Later, Campbell said in the locker room that he expects to return from a hamstring injury that kept him out four of the last games.

For the Bengals, the significant injury news is that starting cornerback, Cam Taylor-Britt, suffered an ankle injury in practice that will keep him out Monday.

Not listed on the report for the Bengals is wide receiver Tee Higgins, who missed the last three weeks with hamstring and ankle injuries. While he was limited in practice Thursday, Higgins practiced fully Friday and Saturday ahead of his return to action.

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