Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby was nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week for his performance against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday .
In addition to Bigsby, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Falcons WR Drake London were nominated for the award.
Fans can vote by clicking here . Voting closes at 3 p.m. Wednesday and FedEx will donate $2,000 each in the names of the two winning players to Historically Black Colleges and Universities for needs-based scholarships to deserving HBCU students.
Hurricane Milton: Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said team is monitoring track of Hurricane Milton
Bigsby accounted for 129 scrimmage yards (101 rushing, 28 receiving) and two touchdowns against the Colts in the team's 37-34 win. He was instrumental in the team's win with a 65-yard rushing touchdown to give Jacksonville a 34-20 lead with about 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Bigsby's touchdown earlier in the contest gave Jacksonville a 20-10 lead over the Colts in the third quarter.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson praised Bigsby's performance after the game on Sunday and again on Monday after watching the tape, noting that there are still things to clean up about his game.
"It was impressive. He's aggressive, physical, kind of a one-cut guy. There are some teaching moments for us to be able to continue to show him where the hole will be and is, and he'll take that and improve this week," Pederson said of Bigsby's performance. "But he played well, and it's good to see from him, because as the season goes, you're going to need two, maybe all three of those guys."
Tank Bigsby playing with 'a lot of confidence' through Week 5
Bigsby's arrival this year hasn't come without a lot of turmoil.
Last season, he barely saw the field, accounting for 141 snaps (12%) on offense and 34 total snaps on special teams. While he played in all 17 games, he totaled just 132 rushing yards on 50 attempts and two touchdowns. He was largely ineffective after being drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He also had two fumbles.
After putting his rookie season behind him , the second-year back is playing as if he's spent five years in the league, let alone 23 games.
“I feel like I’m playing with a lot of confidence, and it starts with my faith. It starts with faith, and I’ve got a lot of faith in God, my ability and work ethic. I feel like if I put the work in, he’ll handle the rest," Bigsby said after the game Sunday. "I just lay it in his hands. I have a lot of faith and a lot of confidence.”
Bigsby came just short of reaching the end zone after a long run against the Houston Texans in Week 4. He took it upon himself this week to not let that happen again. In Week 1 last year against the Colts, Bigsby didn't have the best game after he was caught off guard by Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin who poked the ball out, allowing defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to scoop the ball and score.
He took it personally this week.
"All week this week, I finished and I ran out there so that I said I won’t be gassed and I will score, and help my team win. That was the biggest thing, and another thing was last year, how I started off with the Colts in my career, I didn’t like it and I kind of took this game a little personal," Bigsby said.
Both of Bigsby's runs on Sunday were reminiscent of his play with the Auburn Tigers in college: a bruising back with deceptive speed. Now, he hopes to continue that performance and help his team win as they head to London this week. They'll face the Chicago Bears on the "road" in Week 6 before playing at "home" against the New England Patriots before returning to Jacksonville.
"There’s a lot more out there that we’re going to watch on film and try to go to London and God-willing, get another one," said Bigsby.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby nominated for FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week
Local News
Comments / 0