Tag: Travis Etienne

Maurice Jones-Drew: The Jaguars miss James Robinson right now

Maurice Jones-Drew says “this time of year” is why the Jaguars should’ve kept James Robinson.

The Jacksonville Jaguars somehow find themselves in the postseason race with four weeks left in the 2022 season, despite their 5-8 record.

If the Jaguars can make up one game on the plummeting Tennessee Titans over the next three weeks, a Week 18 matchup at TIAA Bank Field between the division rivals would likely decide the AFC South champion.

With Jacksonville playing meaningful football in the month of December for the first time in five years, former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew says one of the team’s midseason trades is aging poorly.

“I want to say this — and I get it there’s reasons, you got a fifth-round pick for guy that was undrafted — but this is why you need James Robinson on your roster. This time of the year,” Jones-Drew told Brent Martineau on ESPN 690. “You need a guy that you can lean on, a bigger guy who can run downhill.

“It’s always important to have those guys on your roster. The reason the Tennessee Titans have won the division so many times as of late is because they have a back who’s 250 pounds that runs downhill.”

Robinson rushed for 1,837 yards and scored 18 touchdowns over his first two seasons with the Jaguars. After starting the 2022 season with 340 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his first seven games, Robinson was traded to the New York Jets for a sixth-round pick that has a dwindling chance at becoming a fifth-rounder.

After running for 65 yards in his first two games in New York, Robinson has tumbled down the team’s depth chart and was a healthy scratch in two of the last three weeks.

The trade initially worked out well for the Jaguars when running back Travis Etienne Jr. racked up 265 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his first two games after the deal. But Etienne has managed only 134 yards and 3.1 yards per carry in his last four games and hasn’t scored a touchdown over that stretch.

It seems both teams may have been better off without ever making the trade in the first place.

Jaguars waive RB Darrell Henderson, who never played a game with team

Darrell Henderson’s time with the Jaguars is already over.

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived running back Darrell Henderson Jr. on Friday, two weeks after claiming the former Los Angeles Rams starter.

Henderson, 25, never played a game with the Jaguars after he was claimed on Nov. 23. The running back was declared inactive both weeks he spent with Jacksonville and was listed as questionable in Week 13 due to an illness.

The Jaguars began the season with the tandem of James Robinson and Travis Etienne Jr. in the backfield, but opted to trade away Robinson in October. Etienne has seen the vast majority of the touches since the trade with JaMycal Hasty and Snoop Conner occasionally getting carries.

Henderson was a third-round pick for the Rams in the 2019 NFL Draft and recorded 1,742 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns in 50 career games with the team.

In addition to Etienne, Hasty, and Conner, the Jaguars also have second-year back Mekhi Sargent on the practice squad.

Jaguars S Andre Cisco inactive vs. Lions in Week 13

The Jaguars will be without starting safety Andre Cisco today.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without starting safety Andre Cisco when the team plays the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 13.

Cisco, 22, was limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury and is expected to be replaced in the starting lineup by veteran safety Dewey Wingard. Through 11 games this season, Cisco has a team-leading three interceptions and has emerged as an enforcer on the back end of the Jaguars defense.

While the loss of Cisco could prove costly, the good news for the Jaguars is that the offense will have running back Travis Etienne Jr. and wide receiver Zay Jones — both of whom were ruled as questionable — in action Sunday.

There were no surprises on the Lions’ list of inactives as the team ruled out two players on Friday and decided everybody else on the roster was good to go.

The most notable omission from Detroit’s list is first-round rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams, who was activated by the team Saturday and will make his NFL debut against the Jaguars.

Jaguars list 4 players as questionable, Lions rule out 2

The Jaguars listed four players, including Travis Etienne, as questionable for Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars officially ruled running back Travis Etienne Jr. as questionable for a Week 13 game against the Detroit Lions, despite both Etienne and Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson saying he’s good to go.

The Jaguars have been hesitant to use the “probable” designation this season, and all indications are that Etienne will likely play Sunday. It’d also be surprising if wide receiver Zay Jones or safety Andre Cisco, both of whom are also questionable, are out of action against the Lions.

The fourth questionable player is running back Darrell Henderson, who missed practice Friday due to an illness. Pederson said earlier in the day that the former Rams starter would likely be inactive if Etienne plays Sunday.

For the Lions, only two players are ruled out of action: guard Evan Brown and pass rusher Julian Okwara.

The rest of the players on the report — including cornerback Jeff Okudah, offensive lineman Penei Sewell, and center Frank Ragnow — are all a full go for Sunday.

Notably absent from the Lions’ report this week is rookie Jameson Williams, who hasn’t yet been moved to the active roster as he recovers from an ACL tear that ended his collegiate career. Earlier Friday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he hasn’t made a decision whether Williams will make his NFL debut against the Jaguars.

Travis Etienne Jr ‘good to go’ vs. Lions, says Doug Pederson

Travis Etienne Jr is “good to go,” says Doug Pederson.

Travis Etienne Jr. received the go-ahead to make his return from a foot injury in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions, according to Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson.

Etienne exited the Jaguars’ Week 12 win over the Baltimore Ravens after taking only two carries. While he was never officially ruled out from the game and Pederson later said Etienne could’ve returned, the running back watched from the sideline while JaMycal Hasty took the majority of the snaps in the Jacksonville backfield.

After the game, Etienne said he’d be ready to play against the Lions. He has continued to insist through the week that he’d make his return in Week 13, but Jaguars coaches said they’d be cautious and wouldn’t put the running back in the lineup unless he’s 100 percent.

On Friday, Pederson told reporters that Etienne appears “good to go” for Sunday before he later said he’s “optimistic” about the running back playing. Pederson also said that if Etienne plays Sunday, it’ll probably mean Darrell Henderson — who was recently claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams — is inactive.

Etienne has 728 rushing yards, 202 receiving yards, and four touchdowns in 11 games with the Jaguars. Earlier this season, he had a stretch of five consecutive games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

Jaguars’ Travis Etienne, Zay Jones limited in practice again Thursday

Travis Etienne and Zay Jones were limited in practice again Thursday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got Roy Robertson-Harris back at practice Thursday after the veteran defensive lineman missed Wednesday due to an illness. That was the only change on the team’s injury report.

Still limited were starters Travis Etienne Jr, Zay Jones, and Andre Cisco, who are dealing with foot, chest, and shoulder injuries, respectively.

Etienne is the only one of those three players who missed time during the Jaguars’ 28-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. Coaches say the second-year running back “insists” he’s ready to return to action in Week 13, but offensive coordinator Press Taylor says the team will lean on the advice of medical staff.

Very little changed for the Lions from Wednesday to Thursday, as well. The most notable difference in the reports was second-year offensive tackle Penei Sewell returned on a limited basis after missing the entire day Wednesday.

While both guard Jonah Jackson and cornerback Jeff Okudah were both listed as limited again after missing Week 12 due to concussions, neither player wore non-contact jerseys at practice Thursday.

Travis Etienne ‘insists’ on playing, but Jaguars will lean on medical staff

Travis Etienne Jr. wants to return to action, but Jaguars coaches say that’s up to the medical staff.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. has made it clear that he feels ready to return to action after missing almost all of Week 12 due to a foot injury. The coaches aren’t making any guarantees, though.

“He certainly insists he’s playing,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said of Etienne on Thursday. “We’re going to trust [vice president of player health Jeff Ferguson] and the medical staff in that department, but that’s something we’ve gone through, it feels like a couple times this season, where a guy is kind of a day-to-day decision.

“We continue to build the plan in hopes that that guy is there, but obviously there’s contingencies for if that guy’s not going to make it.”

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson expressed a similar sentiment Wednesday, telling reporters that the team doesn’t want to put Etienne back in the lineup until the staff is “sure he’s 100 percent.”

Etienne, 23, had only two carries against the Baltimore Ravens before he exited to the locker room. He was ruled questionable to return, but stayed on the sideline for the rest of the game while JaMycal Hasty took the majority of the snaps in the Jaguars backfield.

After the game, Pederson said that Etienne could’ve returned to the game, but Jaguars coaches elected to keep the back on the sideline out of an abundance of caution.

Etienne has 728 rushing yards, 202 receiving yards, and four touchdowns so far this season. He missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury that required surgery to repair. Pederson said Monday that Etienne’s current injury is to the same foot, but is unrelated to the Lisfranc joint.

Travis Etienne, 2 other Jaguars starters limited in Wednesday practice

Travis Etienne Jr was limited in practice Wednesday due to his foot injury.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had three starters limited in practice Wednesday, including running back Travis Etienne Jr, ahead of a Week 13 road game against the Detroit Lions.

Etienne’s small workload is no surprise after a foot injury kept him out of action for almost all of the team’s 28-27 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. More surprising was the limited practice for wide receiver Zay Jones — who had a career-best 145 receiving yards Sunday — and safety Andre Cisco.

Out of action Wednesday was starting defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris due to an illness.

Last week, the Jaguars released three blank injury reports ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the Ravens.

The Lions had a lengthier report Wednesday with four players sitting out practice and five limited.

While that’s a lot more names than what was listed on the Jaguars’ report, it was mostly positive news for Detroit.

Eyes will be on the health of offensive linemen Penei Sewell and Evan Brown, but the Lions had first-round rookie Jameson Williams as a full participant and appear to have Jeff Okudah and Jonah Jackson working their way back.

Doug Pederson: We might need Darrell Henderson vs. Lions

New Jaguars RB Darrell Henderson may be called to action in Week 13.

Darrell Henderson wasn’t ready to make his Jacksonville Jaguars debut just four days after he was claimed by the team off waivers, but the former Los Angeles Rams starting running back may be called to action in Week 13.

“We got to get him some touches this week in practice, we got to get him caught up,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said of Henderson on Monday. “We will spend these next couple days meeting with him and getting him going. I think it’s possible that, obviously, working him into practice, but he could be a player that we might need for the game.”

The Jaguars have leaned heavily on Travis Etienne Jr. at running back since trading James Robinson to the New York Jets in October. However in a Week 12 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Etienne carried the ball just twice for three yards before heading to the locker room with a foot injury.

Etienne returned to the sideline and was okay to return, but was kept out for the remainder of the game as a precaution, according to Pederson.

Backup JaMycal Hasty instead took the brunt of the snaps in the backfield Sunday. While he had a career-best 67 receiving yards, Hasty managed just 28 rushing yards on 12 carries against a stout Ravens run defense.

Etienne is likely to play in Week 13, but the Jaguars may look to limit his work load after his injury scare. And the team may be hesitant to give many carries to Hasty, who is averaging 2.6 yards per carry since the Robinson deal.

Henderson, 25, averaged 4.4 yards in four seasons with the Rams and was averaging 4.0 yards this season before he was surprisingly waived last week.

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Josh Allen 253-78 3
 Justin Herbert 274-38 3
 Kyler Murray 191-56 3
Trevor Lawrence 321-1 3
Jalen Hurts 153-157 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Josh Jacobs 33-229
6-74		 2
Austin Ekeler 5-20
11-60		 1
James Conner 25-120
3-20		 1
JaMycal Hasty 12-28
5-67		 1
Miles Sanders 21-143
3-17		 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Justin Jefferson 9-139 1
Chris Godwin 12-110 1
Amon-Ra St. Brown 9-122 1
Zay Jones 11-145 0
Garrett Wilson 5-95 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Dalton Schultz 4-31 2
Josh Oliver 4-76 1
Jordan Akins 5-61 1
Travis Kelce 4-57 1
T.H. Hockenson 5-43 1
Placekickers XP FG
Justin Tucker 1 4
Nick Folk 2 4
Harrison Butler 2 4
Jason Sanders 3 3
Eddy Pineiro 2 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Eagles 3-2 0
Dolphins 5-3 1
Chiefs 3-2 0
Bills 2-2 0
Vikings 3-0 1

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Aaron Rodgers (GB) – Oblique
RB Travis Etienne (JAX) – Foot
RB Elijah Mitchell (SF) – Knee
RB Michael Carter (NYJ) – Ankle
WR Chase Claypool (CHI) – Leg
WR Allen Robinson (LAR) – Foot
WR Darnell Mooney (CHI) – Ankle

Chasing Ambulances

RB Travis Etienne – Injured his foot and did not return to the game. HC Doug Pederson said that Etienne could have returned to the game but was held out just to play it safe. Etienne did not have crutches or a walking boot and appear to walk fine. He said he would be ready to go this week against the Lions.

RB Elijah Mitchell (SF) – Already missed most of the season with a sprained MCL and now he sprained the MCL in his other knee. He’ll get an MRI on Monday but the initial speculation is that he is not as bad as he was in Week 1. Notable too, Christian McCaffrey was dealing with “knee irritation” according to HC Kyle Shanahan.

RB Michael Carter – Injured his ankle in the win over the Bears and did not return.  He is due for an MRI on Monday to determine the severity but early speculation believes he will miss some time.

WR Chase Claypool – Had his leg buckle under him a bit during a catch and left the game. He’s a marginal fantasy player anyway, but he did lead the Bears receivers with two catches for 51 yards with Justin Fields out. More should be known after tests on Monday.

WR Allen Robinson – Injured his foot and will require season-ending surgery. It is an ending to a season even more disappointing than 2021.

WR Darnell Mooney – Injured his ankle in the loss to the Jets and it is believed to require season-ending surgery like Allen Robinson. It will be confirmed on Monday.

QB Aaron Rodgers – He was already playing with a fractured right thumb, and now Rodgers picked up an oblique injury. He underwent x-rays of his ribs that were inconclusive. He will have further testing on Monday.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

QB Sam Darnold (CAR) – Had his first start of the season and while he only threw for 164 yards and one score, he connected with D.J. Moore for 103 yards and a score on four receptions. He didn’t need to throw more than 19 passes, but still connected with Moore.

RB JaMycal Hasty (JAC) – With Travis Etienne out for nearly the entire game, Hasty stepped up to be the primary back and finished with just 28 yards on 12 carries versus the Ravens defense, but he added five receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. Snoop Conner only ran three times for eleven yards. Etienne’s injury isn’t thought to be serious, but Hasty should be on the Etienne owner’s roster and if not, he’s worth stealing in case Etienne misses time.

WR Zay Jones (JAC) – Just set a career-high with 11 receptions for 145 yards in the win over the Ravens. Jones caught eight passes for 68 yards at the Chiefs in Week 11. He is trending up lately and is an option when the Jags must pass to stay in the game.

QB Kyle Allen (HOU) – He replaced Davis Mills but the results were similar. Allen passed for 215 yards and one score with two interceptions. Brandin Cooks (5-59) and Nico Collins (6-44) did see much improvement from the change in quarterback.

RB Dameon Pierce (HOU) – His production has trended downward badly in the last couple of games.  After Week 11 only produced 17 total yards, he was held to only 16 total yards at the Dolphins. The Commanders and Dolphins are not Top-5 defenses, but Pierce spent the last two weeks with anemic production.

Bears wideouts – Darnell Mooney is believed to have a serious and season-ending injury and Chase Claypool injured his leg in some undisclosed measure. Those are the two starting wideouts for the Bears who are currently missing Justin Fields as well. Dante Pettis (1-12) and Byron Pringle (2-12, TD) are the replacements and Pettis subs for Mooney who won’t be back. It is an offensive mess with all the injuries, but small opportunities exist.

RB Zonovan Knight (NYJ) – He was the practice squad player that they promoted up and then sat James Robinson on Sunday against the Bears. With Michael Carter leaving from an ankle injury, Knight went from just a name to be the primary running back for the Jets. He impressed. The ex-N.C. State running back was undrafted but did well enough in practices that HC Robert Saleh thought that the backfield could use a spark and gave him a shot that even Knight didn’t realize until Saturday. He set a Jets record when ran for 69 yards and caught three passes for 34 yards. Those 103 scrimmage yards are the most in a player’s debut in Jets history. To the waiver wire!

RB Ty Johnson (NYJ) – He only had nine carries over the first 11 weeks, but Johnson was pressed into duty with Michael Carter injured and James Robinson inactive. he ran for 62 yards on five carries that included a 32-yard rushing touchdown. He also caught a 16-yard pass.

QB Mike White (NYJ) – After slogging through the marginal play of Zach Wilson, the Jets opted for a change, finally, to White. All he did was throw for 315 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and just one sack. White connected well with Garrett Wilson (5-95, 2 TD) and Elijah Moore (2-64, TD). HC Robert Saleh said that Wilson would stay out until he gets his confidence back. Watching White probably did not help.

WR Elijah Moore (NYJ) – It bears repeating. Moore has been a non-factor this year but he caught two passes in his first game with Mike White – a 42-yard completion and a 22-yard touchdown. It was just one game, but it was also the best game of the season for Moore who showed talent last year that hasn’t been seen in 2022 until Sunday.

RB Brian Robinson (WAS) – He not only produced his first 100-yard game, he showed up as a receiver as well. The rookie ran for 105 yards on 18 rushes in the win over the Falcons and added two catches for 20 yards and a touchdown. He only had four catches over his first seven games, so it is a positive development.

RB James Conner (ARI) – He ran for 120 yards in the loss to the Chargers and it was his first 100-yard game of the year. He was consistent with about half of that yardage prior to Week 12. Conner also caught three passes for 20 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the year.

WR Marquise Brown (ARI) – After spending five weeks on injured reserve, Brown returned and caught six passes for 46 yards in the loss to the Chargers. He was thrown a team-high eight targets and also led with six receptions. The schedule is not kind and he goes onto his bye this week, But Brown was cranking out 80-yard games and scored three times before his Week 6 injury.

QB Bryce Perkins / WR TuTu Atwell (LAR) – Maybe it will get better? The notion that what exists as the Rams now, compared to what just won the Super Bowl is mind-blowing. Matt Stafford has his second concussion in three weeks and that handled very carefully. It even caused speculation that Stafford could retire. All we can be sure of for now is that Perkins is not the answer at quarterback. To be fair, he’s playing without Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson was just lost for the season. There could be opportunity for a receiver and Atwell is the direct replacement for Robinson. He caught a 62-yard touchdown in Week 11 but only managed two catches for 23 yards at the Chiefs on Sunday.

RB Jordan Mason (SF) – He hasn’t done much for the 49ers so far, but Elijah Mitchell injured his other MCL and may miss time. Christian McCaffrey was described as having a knee irritation by HC Kyle Shanahan who said that he “hoped it wasn’t anything.” Jeff Wilson is gone. Mason is next in line to play. Depending on Mitchell and potentially McCaffrey’s injuries, Mason could be a name to sneak back into the conversation. Mason ran for 25 yards on his five carries yesterday.

QB Jordan Love (GB) – Once Aaron Rodgers left in the third quarter with a painful oblique injury, Love entered the game and looked sharp completing 6-for-9 for 113 yards and one 62-yard touchdown to Christian Watson. Depending on how Rodgers’ scan goes on Monday, Love may be looking at more playing time.

Huddle player of the week

Josh Jacobs – To think how many times he was passed over in fantasy drafts. Jacobs has already been one of the best fantasy draft picks of 2022, and now his Week 12 production boosted him all the way up to be the No. 2 fantasy running back. Jacobs ran for an astounding 229 yards and two scores on 33 carries, plus caught six passes for 74 yards. That included the 86-yard run that ended overtime with a win for the visiting Raiders.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Mike White 317 3 QB Tua Tagovailoa 299 1
RB JaMycal Hasty 95 1 RB Travis Etienne 3 0
RB Ty Johnson 78 1 RB Christian McCaffrey 49 0
WR Zay Jones 145 0 WR Mike Evans 31 0
WR Isaiah McKenzie 96 1 WR Christian Kirk 41 0
WR DeAndre Carter 73 1 WR Deebo Samuel 43 0
TE Josh Oliver 76 1 TE George Kittle 26 0
PK Nick Fold   2 XP   4 FG PK Will Lutz   Nope
Huddle Fantasy Points = 110 Huddle Fantasy Points = 39

Now get back to work…