Minshew running out of time to secure job
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gardner Minshew has two more weeks to make Jacksonville’s quarterback decision a difficult one.
The rookie sensation has been rather ordinary the past two games, completing 47.5 percent of his passes for 418 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also was sacked four times.
He came up big, though, in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 27-17 victory at winless Cincinnati. He tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Keelan Cole that put the Jaguars ahead for good. It was Jacksonville’s lone touchdown in six trips inside the 20-yard line.
Minshew completed 15 of 32 passes for 255 yards, a better performance than what he showed the previous week against New Orleans.
But the two-week stretch has mostly silenced the Minshew Maniacs clamoring for Jacksonville to keep Nick Foles on the bench.
Foles will return to practice this week and is eligible to play Week 11 at Indianapolis, following a bye. The 30-year-old veteran broke his left collarbone 10 plays into the season opener.
“We’ll kind of gradually bring him back in there,” coach Doug Marrone said Monday. “I just want to make sure we’re good with the reps and building it up, not doing too much too fast. … We don’t want a lot of people around him. We’ll be smart this week and see how it progresses.”
Foles signed a four-year, $88 million contract in March that included $50.125 million guaranteed, a big reason why Marrone is unlikely to stick with Minshew.
Jacksonville’s defense allowed 291 yards, with 134 of those coming in the fourth quarter, and forced a season-high four turnovers against the Bengals.
It was the unit’s fourth stout showing this season and second in as many weeks. The Jaguars held the Saints to a lone touchdown in a 13-6 loss last week.
Nonetheless, it had to sting to see former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey making game-changing plays for the Rams and knowing how much better Jacksonville’s D would be with him.
The Jaguars host the New York Jets on Sunday.