The brightest spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars during their winless October was the emergence of rising star running back Travis Etienne.
Etienne, 23, has recorded career highs in rushing yards in four straight games, recording 71 yards in Week 5, then 86, 114, and 156, in the next three weeks. After not scoring in the Jaguars’ first six games, Etienne has recorded a touchdown in back-to-back weeks.
While his ascension in the Jacksonville backfield has been swift, Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said the best is still ahead of Etienne.
“I wouldn’t say he’s anywhere close to where he’s going to be,” Taylor said. “As he continues to learn what defenses are doing, why we’re calling runs for certain fronts, the tracks on runs, how people are going to try to take us off, combinations and pullers and different things like that. I think as he matures, just in his football knowledge and understanding offenses with schemes and how we’re trying to attack, I wouldn’t put a ceiling on him.”
Through the first eight weeks of the season, Etienne was sixth in the NFL in rushing yards with 571. The 2021 first-round pick is third in the league in rushing yards per attempt among players with at least 40 carries.
Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Leonard Fournette, and James Robinson are the only four players to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season with the Jaguars.
