Jaguars QB tumbles in FanSided.com rankings

While the Jaguars Gardner Minshew has regressed the past two weeks in FanSided.com’s quarterback rankings, he is still progressing as a rookie signal-caller.

The questions have already begun, but they really start in earnest on Wednesday when Nick Foles begins to practice once again for the Jacksonville Jaguars. For now, Gardner Minshew is the starter until Foles has been cleared to play and the coaching staff and organization can figure out the details and hopefully avoid controversy in the process.

And for all of us watching Minshew play football and learn on the fly, it’s nice knowing we have a “problem” where two quarterbacks can start and win instead of throwing darts at a board and choosing from week to week who might give the team a chance to win.

Minshew was a better NFL quarterback this past week but still struggled at times against the Bengals. And for the second straight week, he took a tumble in Matt Verderame’s quarterback rankings on FanSided.com.

Playing against the Bengals and their horrid defense should have been a potion that helped the sixth-round draft pick impress the masses. He still showed signs of development, but the defense and the running game were the reasons for the win on Sunday.

More from Jacksonville Jaguars News

• 5 potential cap casualties the Jacksonville Jaguars should be in on in 2023
• The Jacksonville Jaguars got so lucky with the 2021 NFL Draft
• Jacksonville Jaguars opt for continuity at RB, re-sign JaMycal Hasty
• Jaguars Mock Draft: Huge trade for a WR, add more help on offense
• 3 landing spots for Jacksonville Jaguars WR Marvin Jones in 2023 NFL free agency

"“Minshew struggled for the second consecutive week, although the Jaguars were able to win this time around,” Verderame wrote. “The sixth-round rookie out of Washington State threw for 255 yards and a touchdown on 15-of-32 passing. Not ideal against a horrid team like Cincinnati.”"

The Jaguars get the Jets this week, a team that lost 33-0 to New England on Monday night which could help the rookie gain more confidence and help work out the issues in his accuracy in the passing game.

Through the first five weeks of the NFL season, Minshew looked like a player who stepped into a situation and thrived. In the past two weeks, he hasn’t had the same kind of success, although it is much better than the performance of the quarterbacks on the roster. Their names won’t be used in the story to protect the guilty parties.

Add the fact Leonard Fournette is having his best season as a pro, at the right time, and the Jaguars can afford to continue to develop the rookie. The lights-out performance by the defense in the second half of last week’s game also helped the team’s cause.

When head coach Doug Marrone talked to the local media by teleconference on Monday, he outlined how Minshew is progressing and how the offense is still taking shape.

"“He’s progressing well. I think that even though the numbers may not show it, I think that we’re starting to see a lot of different things and his reaction to it, and he’s getting better experience with it and being able to handle it,” Marrone said.“So, I think those things are going well. Obviously, he did a much better job protecting the football, even though at times there were some things that we still have to work to improve on. He’s done a nice job.”"

Minshew is 15th in the league with 1,697 yards passing. He has thrown 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has been sacked 16 times this season as the Jaguars offensive line has been better at run blocking than protecting the pass.

While Foles will start throwing in practice, Marrone said the coaching staff plans to take it slow with his return. Foles, who was signed this offseason from Philadelphia, is not eligible to play until the game against Indianapolis.