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Jaguars RB Travis Etienne got the start in Jacksonville’s preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Despite a potential RB competition, Etienne played every snap with Jacksonville’s starting offense. Etienne could be the best fit for HC Liam Coen’s offense, according to John Shipley of Sports Illustrated.
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated: “Travis Etienne not only got the nod at starting running back last night, but he is the only running back who touched the ball on the first drive as a whole. By the time Tank Bigsby took the field for his first carry, Nick Mullens was at quarterback.”
Throughout training camp, Bigsby appeared to hold a slight edge over Etienne, with the latter focusing more on pass-catching duties.. However, Jacksonville’s preseason opener may have revealed their plans at the RB position, as Etienne dominated snaps with the first-team offense.
According to Shipley, Etienne could be the preferred fit for Coen’s offense, thanks to his ability in the passing game. And it makes sense. Last season in Tampa Bay, Coen’s offense targeted the RB position 22% of the time, the fourth-highest rate in football. QB Baker Mayfield also averaged 4.4 screen passes per game, the fifth-most in the league.
While Bigsby was undoubtedly more efficient on the ground last year–pacing Etienne in YPC (4.3), explosive rush rate (11.9%) and YAC/ATT (3.4)–he leaves much to be desired as a pass-catcher. Through two seasons, Bigsby has just eight total receptions to five drops, while he has been targeted on just 10% of his routes during that span.
Perhaps Bigsby will get to audition for the RB1 job with the starters in Week 2. But based on what we saw this weekend, it appears Etienne has the leg up in the Jacksonville backfield. Etienne checks in as RB32 in our rankings, with Bigsby just inside the top-40.
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