The Jacksonville Jaguars‘ loss to the Miami Dolphins last weekend sparked frustration after a lackluster performance in the second half. Travis Etienne lost a crucial fumble in the third quarter, which allowed the Dolphins to mount a comeback. Despite this, QB Trevor Lawrence remains confident in the running back’s ability to turn things around.

In a press conference, star quarterback Lawrence defended his former Clemson teammate and assured that despite the setback, Etienne remains in good spirits: “I mean, he’s just the same guy every day,” Lawrence said. “He doesn’t get too high or too low. That’s something I love about him.

“I think he’s going to respond great. He always has. Like you said, shoot, we’ve played together for, this is Year 7, I guess? Year 7 together. So, of course, with both of us, we’ve seen each other both have some plays that we want back. I think we both have a lot of confidence in one another to bounce back and you know what you’re going to get out of him. So, yeah, I’m excited for him.”

Travis Etienne Jr. #1 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Despite a key mistake in the loss to the Miami Dolphins, Etienne rushed for 44 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown and caught two passes for 15 yards in Week 1.

Trevor Lawrence and his self-criticism after the defeat

Following the narrow loss to the Dolphins last weekend on the final kick, Trevor Lawrence made a major admission about his team’s performance at Hard Rock Stadium.

The former Clemson quarterback noted after the game that there is no need to assign blame for this defeat: “…So no one is pointing the fingers. We still had plenty of time in the game, and we have to be able to handle the adversity and go score in the next series, and that’s the only good drive we had the whole half. It’s on all of us when something like that does happen. We’ve got to gather around and make the next play, and we didn’t do that.”

Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars in action against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

What’s next for the Jaguars in the NFL

A rebound for Doug Pederson’s squad is just around the corner, and it’s time to look ahead to bounce back from the tough season opener defeat.

Coming up are a series of games where the Jaguars will need to give 100% to get back on track as soon as possible:

  • Week 2 – Cleveland Browns
  • Week 3 – Buffalo Bills
  • Week 4 – Houston Texans
  • Week 5 – Indianapolis Colts
  • Week 6 – Chicago Bears