Minshew Mania set to sweep the pigskin landscape once more
Jackson Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone announced on Monday that Gardner Minshew II will start the week fourteen tilt against the LA Chargers, the move comes just four weeks after Marrone made the initial move back to Nick Foles.
Minshew a sixth round draft selection performed stoutly during Nick Foles’ absence passing for 2285 yards, 13 touchdowns along with four interceptions, whilst completing 61.2% of his attempted passes.
The media hype surrounding Minshew fueled the imagination of NFL fans around the world. The Jaguars themselves embraces the hysteria by handing out 35,000 mustaches to fans prior to the game against the New Orleans’s Saints.
Is Minshew the answer?
Minshew endured a tough outing in London against the Houston Texans with four turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles lost) the rookie hiccup provided Marrone with the perfect opportunity to ease Foles back into the lineup.
Following the teams bye week Foles returned under centre for the first time since been placed on injured reserve after sustaining a broken collar bone in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Marrone explained his reasoning behind the move and was full of praise for Minshew.
“I just go back to experience and what he’s going to be able to do. I think that’s going to give us the ability – a better chance to win. Gardner’s a competitor,’’ Marrone said of Minshew. “He’s done a great job. I feel a whole lot different about him now than I did prior to him playing in a very positive way. We had some discussions on things that we’re going to work on going forward that will give him the ability to be a player in this league for a long time.”
via Jaguars.com
The move back to Foles, made sense at the time for a team that aggressively pursued the 30-year-old during free agency, handing the former Super Bowl MVP a four-year $88m contract. However the switch back hasn’t gone according to plan as the Jaguars have lost all three games with Foles at the helm.
With the playoff aspirations hanging by a thread coupled with the harsh reality of unemployment on the horizon, Marrone needs more than just a token move to appease the unrest within the fan base.
Two years removed from an AFC Championship appearance, Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell seem hell bent on rehashing inadequacies at the quarterback position. The question is how long does owner Shad Kahn prevail with the duo?
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