Jaguars Get Electric Individual Performance in Win vs. Panthers

Several players made statements in the win. For example, Jourdan Lewis proved why he deserved to become the NFL's highest-paid nickelback after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Jaguars this past offseason, finishing with five combined tackles, a quarterback hit, an interception, and three passes defended, one of which led to another pick by Foyesade Oluokun.

On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville was able to move the chains consistently throughout the game. Travis Hunter Jr. looked like a future star possession wide receiver, pulling down six catches on eight targets for 33 yards. Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., and Brenton Strange, among others, all showed encouraging signs, too. The player of the game, though, was running back Travis Etienne Jr.

Travis Etienne Jr. shows out

Travis Etienne Jr. was arguably the biggest question mark on the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive depth chart coming into the game. With Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, and LeQuint Allen Jr. sitting behind him, there was speculation that he could lose his spot as RB1 at some point this season.

However, he showed against the Carolina Panthers that he might be the perfect lead back in Head Coach Liam Coen's system. With his brother watching with the opposition, ETN tallied 156 yards from scrimmage on 16 carries to go along with three catches. He also ripped off a monster 71-yard run. Coen spoke after the game about what he saw from Etienne in his season debut:

"Those guys up front, I thought [they] played really well at times. The backed-up run that he makes, Strange comes across, gets a kickout block, and there's a safety sitting in the hole that Travis just, you know, made a great move and broke loose. You could feel him all day. You definitely felt him being a little bit — having a little bit more burst maybe than other guys on the grass. He looked fresh. He looked fast. He took care of the football. Proud of him. He did a great job, but the whole unit, really all the way through the end of the game, ran the ball effectively."

No other Jaguars ball-carrier had more than five attempts. The RB1 job is Etienne Jr.'s to lose, and it doesn't seem like he intends to do so anytime soon.