Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback climbs NFL rankings

After a 374 yard passing day that included two touchdowns, Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew continues to defy the odds as an NFL quarterback.

While Minshew Mania continues it path across the NFL landscape, the Jaguars are almost to a point where they will have to make a decision in the future. Will the front office halt what has become of the best stories in the league when veteran Nick Foles is cleared to play again, or will the wave of excitement remain in place for Gardner Minshew and this roster?

The Jaguars are really about a month away from having to consider such a discussion, so in the mean time, let’s all enjoy this ride. Minshew once again showed poise in the pocket in the final minutes of the game this past Sunday, coming up just short in a 34-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

After a 374-yard performance with two touchdowns and no interceptions, Minshew almost brought the team back like he did the week before in Denver. But he also showed signs of being a rookie on Sunday thanks to three fumbles that he could not recover. One was returned for a touchdown by Panthers rookie Brian Burns.

Doug Marrone, the Jaguars head coach had praise once again for his signal caller, but did address the need for his quarterback to hold onto the ball better.

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"“I think Gardner [Minshew II] needs to, looking at it today, just needs to seat the ball better. I think the ball, when he opened, the ball was out there,” Marrone said on Monday when he met with the media.“I thought that Seth [DeValve] took a good step to clear it. Those are the things that obviously you don’t want to have happen and we’ll make it a point of emphasis, as well as with the ball security for Gardner, because obviously he’s upset about that. He’s trying out there, he’s trying to make plays, which is great. You can see he does a good job with ball security, he’s aware of it, and then the ball came out late and the ball gets knocked out, so we just have to do a better job of that.”"

Minshew’s prowess on the field is getting more notice from the national media and our friends at FanSided.com. Matt Verderame showed the former Washington State star some love this week, moving him to 12th in his most recent list of NFL starting quarterbacks.

Minshew jumped six placed from last week.

It's hard to imagine how the #Jaguars fan base would feel about this season had Gardner Minshew been a backup QB who went through normal growing pains. A 6th-round draft pick is making 2019 incredibly interesting. He's becoming the face of the franchise in just one month.
— Eugene Frenette (@GeneFrenette) October 8, 2019

"“Minshew had another good game on Sunday. Jacksonville has one of the more limited offensive supporting casts in football, and yet Minshew has 1,279 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. Not bad,” Verderame wrote."

I’m not sure how limited this offense really is given the Jaguars have the leading rusher in the AFC in Leonard Fournette and the emergence of wide receiver DJ Chark, who has become Minshew’s “go-to” guy in the passing game.

The Jaguars rank sixth in total offense, which is a huge step forward from finishing 31st in the league last season.

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