For a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is currently in control of their division and is looking to secure a top seed in the playoff race, a potential injury bug is a bit at a very inopportune time. While the NFL season is more of a marathon than a sprint, the endurance of star players and the ability to stay healthy remains the single biggest contributor toward a successful season. For a Doug Peterson team that looks to be coming in stride, the latest injury report addition could prove critical in a tight AFC conference that is up for grabs.
Jacksonville Jaguars player hurt in latest game
During their win against divisional opponent Houston, Texas, in the first half, fans held their breath for a moment as Travis Etienne went to the sideline with an apparent chest injury. Luckily, it was not a long-lived event, as the running back was able to return and make his usual overall impact on the game.
Finishing with 20 carries for 56 yards and 4 receptions for 40 yards, Etienne was mainly there to take pressure off of his quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, and to open up opportunities for fellow wideout teammates in the passing game. Part of the reason why his numbers were not as impressive was because the Jacksonville Jaguars were playing with a lead toward the end and trusted him to securely run the clock out.
His role in this Jacksonville Jaguars offense
Etienne is one of the few feature backs that still pays tribute to the classic workhorse style running back of old. For someone that averages 17.6 carries a game, his ability to remain healthy shows his dedication to taking care of his body, as well as how trusting this staff is of his talent.
While less so, he will at times, serve as a security blanket for Trevor Lawrence in the passing game. Averaging roughly 5 passing targets a game, they are willing to test teams in coverage to see if he is able to use his explosive athleticism to create a big play out of a small completion.
What losing Etienne could mean for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Being such a large part of the offense, any prolonged injury to Etienne would leave a large, unfillable void in the offense. Listed only behind Josh Jacobs of the Raiders, the running back is an NFL leader in total rushing attempts at 194. This means that even if he’s not pulling off big gains, his power is used to control time of possession and to help set up the play-action pass for Trevor Lawrence. Without him in the lineup, other teams would not have to respect the potential running threat nearly as much.
Tied for 10th in the NFL, a team-high eight total touchdowns have come from Etienne. Without him, it is hard to see how the scoring production could be replaced. Considering that his chemistry with Lawrence dates back to their college days at Clemson, it’s hard to argue that there isn’t a single more important player for their team in the league.
Likely availability for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Considering that he played in the role that he did for the entirety of the second half against the Texans, it is most likely that his day-to-day status is not even the team taking precautionary measures but just a league injury update formality.
With a Thursday practice under his belt, barring no other setbacks, his status can be expected to be upgraded to probable before game time. The aspect that helps the most is that their upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals is slated to be a Monday night matchup. With an extra day’s rest, it makes it all the more likely that he will be as close to full health as you can be this late in the year.
