Jaguars QB re-enters FanSided.com’s newest rankings
By David Levin
The quarterback saga continues for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone announced on Monday that Gardner Minshew will once again assume the starting role he surrendered to Nick Foles, who returned to the lineup after missing 10 weeks with a broken clavicle only to perform at a less-than-stellar level the past two-plus weeks.
Marrone made the move to change quarterbacks in the second half of the 28-11 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday, much to the delight of the fans in Jacksonville, who were vocal in their displeasure over the play under center. And for Minshew’s relief effort, he once again enters the FanSided.com quarterback rankings at No. 23.
It’s a fair position for the rookie, who has shown a penchant to make plays on the move with his versatility and escapability from the pocket.
"“Minshew needs to be the starter going forward,” writes Matt Verderame of FanSided.com. “Nick Foles has been underwhelming since returning from injury.”"
More from Jacksonville Jaguars News
- Jacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdom
- Jaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect now
- Jaguars News: This division rival might be making a big move
- Former Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”
- Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways
And it times since his return, he has looked overwhelmed by the opposition’s pass rush that has not been kind to him the past three games. The blame for a lackluster performance cannot be placed on Foles’ shoulders as the offensive line has not done a good job of pass protection this season. Jaguars quarterbacks have been sacked 30 times this season.
"Also, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, “If you were wondering if the Jaguars are the NFL’s most undisciplined team, the answer is yes. They are the league’s most-penalized team with 105 accepted penalties and also lead the NFL with 129 total penalties (including those that were declined).“Rookie RT [Jawaan Taylor] leads the NFL with 13 accepted penalties and is tied for second in total penalties (including declined) behind Denver’s Garett Bolles (14). C Brandon Linder also ranks in the top 10 in accepted penalties with nine.”"
Marrone addressed the elephant in the room immediately on Monday in his teleconference with the local media. He said the plan is to play Minshew the remainder of the season. He also said he still believes in Foles as a quarterback on the roster and that the decision to make the change was a difficult one.
"“Like I said before, I still believe in him as the quarterback. I just think that a lot of times it’s never really just the one position, or one person,” Marrone explained. “That’s the one position [where] it’s a team game, you need people around him to do a good job, and right now, we’re all not doing a good enough job. So, we’re just trying to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win.”"
In the 10 games, Minshew has played this season, he has thrown for 2,432 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions with a 61.1 completion percentage. As a starter, he is 4-4 this season. He has played in relief the other two games, both losses by Foles.