There is no doubt that Travis Etienne's lost fumble was the catalyst for the sudden change in momentum that ultimately turned Sunday's game into a big win for the Miami Dolphins and a devastating 20-17 loss for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It was a surprising occurrence, considering the history of the third-year tailback who has already racked up a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
With the Jaguars already up by 10 points and looking to up their lead to 17 late in the third quarter with a first-and-10 at the Miami 13, Etienne took a handoff from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and barreled toward the end zone. But just before he reached the end zone, a hit by Dolphins safety Jevon Holland knocked the football out of Etienne's hands and into the end zone, where it was recovered by Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou.
On the very next play, Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made the turned disappointment into disaster for the Jaguars, when he connected with Tyreek Hill on an 80-yard touchdown pass. So instead of going into the fourth quarter potentially up 24-7, Jacksonville found itself nursing a 17-14 lead in front of a Hard Rock Stadium that was suddenly reengaged.
The Jaguars' offense struggled the rest of the day, never entering Miami territory again, and two fourth-quarter field goals by Jason Sanders, including the game-winner from 52 yards out as time expired, sealed Jacksonville's fate.
While Etienne had some issues with fumbles during his first season in 2022, when he coughed up the ball five times, with three of those recovered by opposing defenses, the former Clemson star carried the football 267 times in 2023 and caught 58 passes with none of those possessions resulting in a fumble.
According to NFL.com, Etienne had not lost a fumble since Week 15 of the 2022 season against the Dallas Cowboys in a game the Jaguars won 40-34, a stretch of 21 regular season games prior to Sunday
No one felt worse than Etienne, who addressed the turnover after the game.
Travis Etienne on his fumble, as well as if this loss hit the #Jaguars locker room differently than any loss the last two years
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) September 8, 2024
“We’re pissed off… [because] we’ve tasted greatness. We know we’re destined for greatness” #Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/hXUY88F5Jz
"We can't have those things come up in critical situations," Etienne told Mia O’Brien of 1010XL/92.5 Jax Sports Radio. "... I just that for myself and for my teammates because they believe in me, and I believe in me and try to be better for them.
Etienne scored the Jaguars’ first touchdown of the game with a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He finished the game with 12 carries for 44 yards and caught two passes for 25 yards.
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