Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was pretty excited about his 28-carry day against the Las Vegas Raiders. He told reporters after the game that it’s the kind of workload he’s been waiting for since high school.
But Etienne probably shouldn’t expect to see that many touches in another game anytime soon.
On Monday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said the coaching staff spent part of the day discussing a bigger role for backup running back JaMycal Hasty, mostly because of what it could mean for Etienne.
“I think we could use him more,” Pederson said of Hasty. “He’s a really good runner. We were talking about that as a staff this morning, on how we can utilize him a little bit more and maybe take some off of Travis just a little bit.”
It’s a wise decision, as 28 carries is a massive workload for any player and could easily wear down the Jaguars’ rising star in the backfield.
The problem for Jacksonville has been how ineffective Hasty has been in the last two weeks. The former San Francisco 49ers back had 13 yards on four carries in Week 8 and six yards on three carries against the Raiders.
It’s been tough to keep Etienne — who averages 5.7 yards per carry — on the sideline in favor of Hasty, who’s averaging just 2.7 yards since the team traded away James Robinson.
There’s also Snoop Conner, a fifth-round rookie who is on the active roster, but has been on the field for just two offensive snaps this season.
The Jaguars need someone to lighten the load for Etienne and it’ll likely be Hasty. The third-year back just needs to show he can be effective too.
