As someone who has Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne on the ol’ fantasy squad, I’m enthusiastically in alignment with his mother when she demands better blocking for her son on Christmas Eve.
Donnetta Etienne took matters into her own hands, because it’s clear Jags head coach Doug Pederson’s Super Bowl-winning resume isn’t enough to motivate the big uglies in the trenches to pave lanes for Travis:
It’s looking like Jacksonville quarterback and ex-Travis Etienne Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence will start on Sunday after clearing the concussion protocols. Say what you will about the alleged “generational talent” and whether or not Lawrence is up to snuff on that front. He’s one hell of a tough dude. Endured Urban Meyer’s tyrannical bullsh*t as a rookie. Overcame a bad start to last season to lead the Jags to the playoffs. Rallied from four interceptions and a 27-0 deficit to stun Brandon Staley’s Chargers.
Maybe Lawrence should take a breather, no? He’s already dealing with a high ankle sprain. No but really, I was thinking Etienne would be the focal point of the game plan for Week 16 in Tampa Bay if Lawrence couldn’t go. On the other hand, if Lawrence plays to his potential, his passing ability should help open up a little more room for Etienne to roam, as opposed to if C.J. Beathard was under center.
…Although that’s been the hope all season long and hasn’t come to fruition. According to PFF, the Jags have the 31st-ranked run blocking unit in the NFL. That’s suboptimal for a running back. A playmaker of Etienne’s skills can’t do much of anything if the guys in front of him can’t block. Related story: Etienne has seen his yards per carry drop from 5.1 last year to 3.7 now. Not great, Bob!
As someone who also threw down a chunk of change on Etienne’s OVER 950.5 rushing yards for the season, you better believe I’ve been getting a tad anxious in recent weeks as his rushing yards by game have totaled 35, 52, 56, 45, 35, and 31 respectively. He’s on 837 yards as of now. Would be at 1,168 with last season’s YPC.
Been waiting on that breakout performance! Still waiting, Trav! I know, it ain’t really your fault at all. Unclear if this is true, but it might as well be:
I mean, this guy is pretty special when he gets even the slightest of creases. Look at this from Week 1. So many chances for Indy to get him to the ground. Nobody could do it.
Only once this season has Etienne exceeded 100 yards in a single game. He had five such performances in 2022 and had a 109-yard effort in the aforementioned rally against the Bolts.
So yeah, STEP UP, Jacksonville offensive line. In the spirit of giving and Christmas! Your season is essentially on the line with the Colts and Texans in hot pursuit of the AFC South crown and everyone tied at 8-6. Lawrence is banged up and needs protection, too. You don’t want to trigger the wrath of Mama Etienne any further, either, I suspect.
It appears that Donnetta deleted her initial post, yet this one still stands:
If things don’t work out for Travis today, at least Christmas came early for someone in the Etienne family. Younger brother Trevor just announced he’s upgrading from Florida to Georgia for what could be his final college season before the 2025 NFL Draft.
