Jaguars Film Review: Etienne, Newsome Glow vs. Raiders

"Yeah, I’ve got to call more runs in general,” Coen said. "When we run the football, we're a little bit more balanced. Anytime you're more balanced, you have the defense on their toes, so it's a matter of like you said, winning first and second down."

The Jaguars' run game had struggled in recent weeks, but it finally gained momentum against the Raiders. Travis Etienne was outstanding coming off the bye, recording one of the highest EPA per rush among all running backs in Week 9. Although his 22 carries for 84 yards may not seem like elite production, every Etienne touch provided quality yardage and key plays, consistently putting Jacksonville in scoring position.

Etienne showcased great contact balance in the backfield while staying low to the ground and churning yardage after contact (Etienne was third amongst all rushers in yards after contact on Sunday). The vision and paired footwork were outstanding, leading to a couple of chunk plays both on the ground and in the air. There was some impressive work from the fifth-year running back, especially on a day when the lanes created from the offensive line were inconsistent and forced Etienne to make his own lanes out of the backfield.

Greg Newsome II's coming-out party

When the Jaguars traded for Newsome last month, the expectation was that this could be a one-year rental with the possibility of being a long-term asset if he hits. While it has taken him a couple of games and a bye week to get accustomed to defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile’s defense, Sunday against the Raiders showcased the skill set that Newsome could bring for the rest of the season.

Breaking it down by each clip in the post below, I like how Newsome is able to carry Tre Tucker on this exit motion wheel. He stays patient in his backpedal while being able to flip his hips and change direction to stay over the top of Tucker and eliminate a progression for Geno Smith.

The second clip, going left to right, showcases Newsome playing in a press-man alignment against Jakobi Meyers, his new teammate (more on him later in this review). Again, he offers a patient pedal while playing outside leverage and stays at the hip pocket of Meyers. This is almost a textbook play of how to play the receiver through contact at the catch point, and an excellent repetition for Newsome.

On the third clip, we see Cover 3 from the Jaguars and trail coverage off the ball from Newsome against Meyers. The receiver is going to eat the cushion here and run a deep stick or hitch to garner separation. However, the quarterback is forced to maneuver the pocket, and it gives Newsome enough time to recover, play the receiver, and cause disruption at the catch point.

Newsome versus Tyler Lockett in the final clip would’ve been exciting a few years ago in the latter's prime, and it still is here toward the end of his career. Lined up in a press alignment, Lockett is going to sell an inside action, but Newsome does a great job maintaining composure and staying at the hip pocket throughout the route.

There was significant growth here from Newsome, who posted a top-10 EPA amongst all defenders this weekend. The question is whether he can maintain it against future opponents, especially against the Houston Texans next weekend. If the Jaguars continue to get this type of play, there are serious conversations needed about a potential contract extension for No. 6.

Montaric Brown continues to shine

With Travis Hunter out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury, this meant that the Jaguars' secondary needed to step up, especially cornerback Montaric “Buster” Brown, who had a -2.5 coverage EPA against the Raiders. Brown did a great job playing within his shells and maintaining quality spacing in zone coverage, along with quality repetitions in man coverage, while staying at the receiver’s hip pocket.

Brown also had the Jaguars' first turnover in weeks. In the second clip in the post below, Brock Bowers is going to come into motion and play within Brown’s shell, the flat/curl area of the field. Bowers is going to sit in space on a spot route, but Brown can read this well, reacting quickly to the break and attacking the football at the catch point for a competitive interception.

Ignore the Pro Football Focus grades on Brown: he has been a quality cornerback in a contract year for the Jaguars when asked, making key plays in coverage consistently. This is exactly what you want to see from a secondary playing without one of their best coverage defenders, stepping up when asked upon and making plays in the process.

Quick-hitting takeaways

• Welcome to Jacksonville, Jakobi Meyers . The Jaguars sent a fourth and sixth round selection in 2026 for the former Raiders receiver and to give the offense a reliable pass catcher and depth player, with the struggles from Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and the injury to Travis Hunter. Jacksonville gets itself a quality route runner who has 17 drops for his seven-year career, making him a potential safety blanket who can play inside-out and generate sufficient run-after-catch yardage.

• Trevor Lawrence was solid against the Raiders on Sunday, leaning into reliable pass-catcher Parker Washington often. Outside of the ill-timed, “whisky tango foxtrot” interception in the first half, Lawrence did a good job working cleanly through his progressions and not looking down his No. 1 read. His footwork was steadier, cleaner, and efficient than in weeks past, along with more sufficient accuracy. There was progress here, but it will need to continue against the Texans in Houston next week.

• Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen was due for a productive game in the sack department, tallying 1.5 sacks against Raiders left tackle Stone Forsythe. I was impressed with some of the moves he put on Forsythe, a clear mismatch, such as the cross-chip, chop into a dip/rip, and hand swipes. There were a few coverage reps that caught my attention, including a match in shell coverage against Brock Bowers.

• The Jaguars defense missed Devin Lloyd and Eric Murray on Sunday after giving up 12 catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns against Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Lloyd is one of the best overall linebackers in the sport when healthy and does an excellent job mopping up and closing off the middle of the field and the seams for opposing tight ends, with Murray being a quality defender at safety to mitigate the big plays.

• Jacksonville’s offensive line had a significant improvement against the Raiders. After allowing 14 sacks and numerous pressures in the last two games, the Jaguars came out of the bye week with a great showing up front, allowing just one sack (enter, Maxx Crosby) and nine pressures. This is a positive development, especially with what I saw this unit’s pass set and communication consistency up front.

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