The Jacksonville Jaguars come to town on Sunday to face the Steelers with both teams coming off close wins last week. The Jags bested the Saints on Thursday Night Football and the Steelers returned from the West Coast with a win against the Los Angeles Rams. Heading into the matchup, there are several key storylines to watch, but possibly one of the most vital may pertain to Jacksonville’s potent rushing attack.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, in his weekly bold predictions article for the site Friday, projected Jaguars RB Travis Etienne to have a field day against Pittsburgh’s soft run defense.
“The Jaguars’ Week 8 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, provide a great opportunity for Etienne to run into the end zone twice given they are only one of two teams that have been outgained in every game this season, along with the 1-6 Arizona Cardinals,” Podell wrote. “That has resulted in the Steelers averaging 27:06 for their time of possession this season, the second-lowest in the NFL ahead of only the floundering Broncos (averaging 27:01 in time of possession). Jacksonville will have plenty of time to chew clock, win the game and get Etienne into the end zone twice.”
Podell is projecting Etienne to become the first player since HOF RB LaDainian Tomlinson to have four consecutive games with multiple rushing touchdowns, tying that mark with a big performance against Pittsburgh. Etienne is off to a hot start this season, posting 127 carries for 504 yards (4.0 YPC) and seven to while tacking on another 24 receptions for 196 yards. Etienne was a player that many expected Pittsburgh to be interested in during the 2021 NFL Draft, having the speed and explosiveness to add a spark to the running game as a home run threat while also being a capable pass catcher out of the backfield. However, Pittsburgh opted to take RB Najee Harris the pick before Etienne, choosing a back with size and power who fit more of its style over the years.
Harris got off to a fast start as a rookie while Etienne missed his entire rookie campaign with a Lisfranc injury to his foot. Since then, Jacksonville has turned to Etienne as its bell-cow back, with the former Clemson star showing he can carry the load while providing more juice as a runner than what we have seen from Harris. He should be licking his chops with an upcoming matchup against the Steelers, who rank 28th in the league against the run, surrendering 142 rushing yards per game. You know Jacksonville is going to want to establish a presence on the line of scrimmage and control the clock, wearing down Pittsburgh’s defense and keeping its offense off the field. The Jaguars will turn to Etienne to do just that, putting the Steelers in a spot where they must slow him down and force QB Trevor Lawrence to try and beat them with his arm.
