Category: Gardner Minshew

Jaguars 1 of 5 teams eligible for ‘Hard Knocks’

One of the best parts about the NFL preseason is watching HBO’s “Hard Knocks” show which gives fans a look at the training camp process and storylines of the chosen team. Last year it was the Oakland Raiders who were under the spotlight, and as …

One of the best parts about the NFL preseason is watching HBO’s “Hard Knocks” show which gives fans a look at the training camp process and storylines of the chosen team. Last year it was the Oakland Raiders who were under the spotlight, and as usual, the show provided several entertaining moments.

For the 2020 season, five teams will be eligible for this year’s showing and the Jags are one of them. Alongside the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cardiac Cats meet the criteria of being on the show due to not having a new head coach, not making the playoffs in two years and not appearing on the show within 10 years.

Typically, there isn’t a team that volunteers for the opportunity, so the league ends up forcing a team to be on the show. Of course, the reason for that is because most coaches want to avoid distractions during training camp. With Doug Marrone fighting to improve upon two consecutive double-digit loss seasons, he likely won’t be a fan of the spotlight, but again, no coach that participates ever is.

Upon looking at the competition to be on the show the argument could be made that most would prefer the Steelers or Broncos more than the Jags, Lions and Chargers. Still, between the allure of Gardner Minshew II, Leonard Fournette roasting his teammates weekly, Yannick Ngakoue’s potential contract situation and Shad Khan needing to remove the stench of Tom Coughlin’s culture, the Jags would be quite entertaining on the big screen.

Watch: Highlights from Jaguars’ 38-20 victory over Colts

Revisit the highlights from the Jaguars’ final game of the decade as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 38-20.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading into the offseason on a high note with a decisive 38-20 win over their AFC South rivals: the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars had a disappointing season in 2019, but Gardner Minshew and company decided to make one last statement as the team rallied in the second half to upset the 7-8 Colts.

Lets revisit the highlights for the final game of the decade:

The game started out in favor of the Colts as they quickly struck first with a field goal, but Jaguars’ kicker Josh Lambo quickly answered with one of his own. After a Colts touchdown and a second Jaguars field goal from Lambo, the Jaguars found the end zone on a 14-yard pitch and catch from Gardner Minshew to Keelan Cole.

The Colts quickly rallied to score 10 more points, retaking the lead 20-13. However, after that point, it was all Duval. Jacksonville fired back with a bomb of a kick from Lambo, nailing a 56-yard field goal to end the half, still trailing 20-16. We all need a hero, and for Jacksonville, no player has answered that call more so than Lambo.

In the second half, Jacksonville started right where they left off and never let off the gas pedal. With Fournette out with the flu, back-up halfback Ryquell Armstead stepped up and filled the void admirably. In the third quarter, Armstead helped Jacksonville retake the lead catching a 3-yard touchdown from Minshew.

After taking a 24-20 lead, the Jaguars pinned Indianapolis deep in their own territory, and as Ngakoue often does, the premier pass-rusher forced a fumble that cemented the Jaguars’ victory.

The fun didn’t end there as Dede Westbrook made the final statement, reeling in a 18-yard beauty from Minshew before the game ended.

Sunday’s win was fun due to the fact that the Jags’ franchise is in an awkward place in time. The team has developing young stars in place like D.J. Chark Jr., Tre Herndon, and Josh Allen to build around. With the right men at the helm, this franchise has all it needs to return to glory.

Winners and Losers from Jaguars vs. Falcons

In another disappointing defeat here are the winners and losers from the Week 16 match-up against the Falcons.

After coming off of an intense come from behind victory last week in Oakland, fans thought maybe this was the turning point for the Jacksonville Jaguars to get back on track the last two weeks of the season. This unfortunately was not the case as the team lost another game by a double-digit margin, as they fell to the Atlanta Falcons 24-12.

In another disappointing defeat here are the winners and losers from the Week 16 matchup against the Falcons:

Winners

Leonard Fournette

I’ve got to give it to Leonard Fournette, he has been nothing but reliable, consistent and productive in 2019. This offseason, Fournette took a look at himself in the mirror and dedicated himself to the game. He spent some time in Wyoming, preparing himself mentally and physically for the upcoming season and it has worked wonders for the star running back. In 2019, Fournette has gone on to lead the team both in receptions and total yardage.

He’s simply been remarkable. From the talk of much frustration from fans to a fan-favorite, Fournette certainly has put his money where his mouth is. Despite the issues of the Jags’ offensive line Fournette currently is fourth in the league in total yardage, with an astounding 1,674 yards from scrimmage. Against the Falcons, he was once again electric as the back totaled 105 yards on 18 touches. He’s been arguably the team’s best offensive player and figures to be a focal point of the offense going forward.

Tre Herndon

Once again, I have to give credit where credit is due. Herndon hasn’t been a top tier cornerback this season and the Jags can’t expect that out of a player  rushed into a starting line-up after replacing one of the best in the game. However, Tre Herndon has exceeded all expectations set for him. Against 2016 All-Pro Matt Ryan and future Hall of Famer Julio Jones, Herndon was able to nab an under thrown deep ball from Ryan, recording his third pick of the year.

Amazingly, Herndon currently leads the team in interceptions and has proved he deserves a shot to be the team’s No. 2 corner going forward. He still has a lot to learn, but I truly believe Herndon can be a impactful long-term starter for this team.

Losers

Gardner Minshew II

Following the conclusion of the game, I was surprised I was able to come up with two deserving winners from such a disappointing game against the Falcons. The scary part is that the three most important figures in the Jacksonville franchise are listed as losers this week.

In a seemingly never-ending prove it game for Gardner Minshew II, the young gun-slinger was only able to connect on just 13 of his 31 passes for under 200 yards. And while the offensive line play wasn’t the best, he’s found ways to be more productive in the past.

The passing game never seemed to get going and it led to a dismal 12-point performance from the offense. Minshew has certainly played better than we all could have ever hoped for in 2019, however, Minshew must show enough to warrant the spot as the 2020 starting quarterback for Jacksonville. Sunday, he wasn’t able to do that.

Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell

This one had to sting for Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell. Before the game, it was reported that both were likely to retain their jobs with the franchise, but a sixth double-digit loss in the last seven weeks certainly doesn’t help their cause. The team is struggling mightily and the staff and front office have one game left to show that they deserve to be spared by owner Shad Khan.

Admittedly, Marrone has been dealt a difficult hand this season no doubt. Some of his best players have been missing for a large part of the season and his quarterback went down in the first ten plays of the season, but that doesn’t mean this season should be dismissed. The team has struggled and there must be accountability for the poor play that the fans have witnessed all season long.

Postgame analysis: Jags acquire another double-digit loss season after falling to Falcons

The Jags struggles on defense continued against the Falcons and it resulted in their tenth loss of the season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t able to feed off the momentum they had last week in Oakland and fell to the Atlanta Falcons Sunday by a score of 24-12. The game marked their fifth double-digit loss since the bye week as the Jags fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and could never recover. It also gave them their seventh double-digit loss season with Shad Khan as owner.

There were issues all over the place, but the defense probably was the biggest one as they allowed quarterback Matt Ryan and company to have success at will. The veteran had 384 passing yards on the day, 166 of which went to Julio Jones, and 82 of which went to Austin Hooper.

Coming into the game, we mentioned how strong the Falcons’ passing game was and they showed why they were the NFL’s fourth-ranked team through the air. Jones especially couldn’t be stopped even with the Jags’ best cornerback, A.J. Bouye, on him.

The Jags also didn’t fare well against the rush. The Falcons’ top rusher on the day, Brian Hill, had seven carries for 66 yards, which was good for a whopping average of 9.4. Their second-leading rusher, Devonta Freeman, had 13 carries for 53 yards (4.1-yard average) on the day and a touchdown.

The Jags also didn’t have a strong day on offense. They were only able to garner a total of 288 total rushing yards in comparison to the 518 the Falcons had. Gardner Minshew II finished the day with 181 passing yards and a touchdown, which went to receiver Chris Conley. The touchdown pass marked the third consecutive scoring connection between the two as they linked up for two touchdown passes last week against the Oakland Raiders. However, it ultimately proved not to be enough.

The Jags now have one game left on the season, which will end what has been a catastrophic year. That game will take place at TIAA Bank Field at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

3 Jaguars to watch on offense vs. Falcons

The Jags will need their offense to produce a lot of points and DJ Chark may be one of the players who can do that for them.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars enduring a crazy week at their facility, they must now turn their attention to the Atlanta Falcons, who will come into Sunday’s game on a two-game win streak.

The Jags will come into Sunday with a win of their own and winning another game will at least give them more wins than last season. To make that streak continue, they will need their offense to have a solid game and put up a lot of points.

Here are some offensive players who could lead them to a victory if they step up to the plate and ball out:

QB Gardner Minshew II

To put it simply, Gardner Minshew II is currently playing to show whoever is running the team next year that he should be allowed to start next season. He was renamed the starter at quarterback two weeks ago and has put together one forgettable performance (against the Los Angeles Chargers), and an impressive one (against the Oakland Raiders). That said, he’ll need to build on last Sunday’s game on the West Coast against the Raiders instead of looking like he did the week before.

In a very hostile environment that was watching their beloved Raiders for one last home game, Minshew was able to drive the Jags down the field and score with roughly 30 seconds left in the game with a connection to Chris Conley. That touchdown pass put the Jags up for the first time in the whole game and they were able to hold off Oakland to close the game.

This week, the Jags will be up against a high powered passing game that should score a lot, and if Minshew can match wits with Matt Ryan, that would likely give the Jags’ front office a big nod of confidence in him as the 2020 starter.

WR DJ Chark Jr.

DJ Chark is expected to make his return from injury Sunday and he couldn’t have chosen a better time with the Falcons having the 23rd ranked passing defense in football (allowing an average of 253.7 points a game). They also are 25th in points allowed allowing an average of 26.1 points per game. When factoring in both issues for the Falcons and the Jags’ inability to run the ball, this clearly indicates that the Jags will likely look to pass the ball over 25 times, but they also will need to score through the air.

With Chark being Minshew’s top target, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see him receive a majority of Sunday’s targets. He’ll especially be up for the challenge when considering he’s 44 yards away from the 1000-yard mark, which I’d suspect he’d hit with ease Sunday against a Falcons secondary that is without starters like safety Keanu Neal and corner Desmond Trufant.

RB Leonard Fournette (in the passing game)

Both Leonard Fournette and the offensive line have been out of sync when it comes to the run game, and I believe the Jags’ struggles to rush the ball falls on both parties. They without a doubt will need to have a successful day on the ground to slow down the Falcons’ offense, but the problem is I don’t think they will be able to do so.

The next best way to utilize Fournette would be in the passing game at that point. He had a few clutch receptions against the Raiders and helped out Minshew tremendously in the short passing game, and with the Falcons’ defensive scheme being one that emphasizes players coming up to make tackles, he’ll have ample opportunities to make some highlight plays.

Gardner Minshew says he saw a lot of “middle fingers” for comeback victory on Raiders

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II had another comeback victory Sunday, but this time it came at the expense of a very special day for the Oakland Raiders. As most are aware, the organization was playing their last game at …

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II had another comeback victory Sunday, but this time it came at the expense of a very special day for the Oakland Raiders. As most are aware, the organization was playing their last game at RingCentral Coliseum (a.k.a. Oakland Coliseum), which means they weren’t too happy about the outcome, of course.

After Sunday’s game, Minshew stated that he thoroughly enjoyed the win on their historic day like a lot of his teammates. Unfortunately, Raiders fans had a unique way of letting him know he’s their least favorite quarterback in the league on his way out of the stadium.

If there is anyone Raiders fans should be mad with it isn’t Minshew. Truth be told, their offense probably should’ve scored more points than they did as they out-gained the Jags in total yardage by a margin of 364 to 262 (including on the ground and through the air) and had a longer time of possession (34:12 to 25:48). Unfortunately for them, they only had 16 total points to show for it an Minshew, who deserves a lot of credit, took advantage.

Minshew finished the game 17-of-29 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The game marked his tenth start and the victory brought him to a 5-5 record as a starter, further validating that it was the right move to promote him to the starting spot over veteran quarterback Nick Foles.

Postgame analysis: Jags spoil Raiders’ historic day thanks to some Minshew Magic

The Jags were out-gained in total yards and time of possession but somehow managed to acquire a win over Oakland.

The Jacksonville Jaguars came into Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders with a 2-12 all-time record and a nine-game losing streak on the West Coast but that changed Week 15. With the help of some “Minshew Magic,” the Cardiac Cats were able to rain on the Raiders’ parade in their last regular season game at RingCentral Coliseum (a.k.a. Oakland Coliseum).

After a relatively flat first half on offense, Gardner Minshew II and company were able to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, both of which were courtesy of receiver Chris Conley. Coincidentally, both drives were also the Jags’ first and last drives of the fourth quarter on offense.

The first scoring drive was an 11-play drive for 53-yards. The second scoring drive, which gave them the lead, was another one in which Jags fans will forever tie to Minshew’s name.

Minshew rallied the Jags after a missed field goal by the Raiders by hitting a combination of C.J. Board, Leonard Fournette and Conley along the way with roughly 3:30 left in the game. Before snagging the game-winning touchdown, Conley also contributed a 21-yard reception on the drive. Eventually, the Jags found themselves on the Raiders’ 4-yard line and Minshew threw a dart to Conley on a slant pattern, silencing the Oakland crowd.

Minshew finished the game 17-of-29 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Conley, on the other hand, had four catches for 49 yards and the two aforementioned touchdowns.

Defensively, the Jags allowed 364 total yards, 236 of which came through the air, however, the pass rush came up big for the Jags in some key moments. They finished the game with four sacks on Derek Carr. Two of those sacks came from pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who was unstoppable all game and also totaled five tackles. Rookie pass-rusher Josh Allen also had a solid day, acquiring his 10th sac of the season, which put him with interesting company.

Sunday’s win was a weird one, to say the least, as the Raiders out-gained the Jags in total yards (364 to 262) and had a longer time of possession (34:12 to 25:48). In the end, the Jags managed to pull off a win though and that’s all that matters.

The Jags’ next game will be on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. That game will take place at 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 22.

Gardner Minshew applies for trademarks for “Minshew Mania” and several other name related phrases

Gardner Minshew has finally pulled the trigger on getting “Minshew Mania” trademarked with various other name related phrases.

Those wanting to sell apparel with one of Gardner Minshew’s various nicknames will now have to get permission from the rookie himself and share a cut of the profits if approved. According to various media outlets, Minshew filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to trademark the phrases Minshew Mania,” “Mississippi Mustache,” and “Minshew Magic” on November 21.

The application covers a wide variety of adult, children and baby apparel from hoodies, headwear, socks, pajamas, and pretty much anything that’s wearable. If you ask me, it’s a smart move that should only help the rookie who has a contract that is a four-year deal only worth over just $2.7 million.

Minshew had arguably the hottest name in football during his first stint as the Jags’ starter, but things have cooled down for him since as he was sent back to the bench upon Nick Foles’ return. However, he was renamed the starter earlier in the month due to Foles struggling, which means he will likely have until the end of the season to make his name hot again.

This week, Minshew will head to the West Coast, a place where he became a cult figure while attending Washington State University. This time around he’ll be taking the field as a pro against the Oakland Raiders, who will have a hostile crowd by their sides due to Sunday’s game being their last at RingCentral Coliseum (a.k.a. Oakland Coliseum).

Gardner Minshew sets rookie franchise passing TD record during loss to Chargers

Wins have not been prevalent for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they at least were able to set a notable record Week 14. Just as he’s done all year, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II was able to add another franchise record to his résumé. This …

Wins have not been prevalent for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they at least were able to set a notable record Week 14.

Just as he’s done all year, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II was able to add another franchise record to his résumé. This time it was the rookie record for touchdown passes, which occurred in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers No. 4 ranked passing defense.

With 5:48 to go in the quarter, Minshew eluded the entire Chargers defense and hit tight end Nick O’Leary wide open for a 12-yard touchdown. While the touchdown didn’t mean much in the total outcome of the game, it did impact the franchise’s history books.

The Jaguars continued their franchise record breaking success from last week where Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen set the rookie franchise sacks (nine) record and running back Leonard Fournette set the single season record for most receptions by a running back (63).

Unfortunately, that success did not translate to the score sheet as the Jaguars fell to the Chargers by a score of 45-10.

Instant analysis: Jags allow Chargers to put up a season-high in points and fall hard Sunday

The Jags endured another bad loss in front of their home crowd thanks to the Chargers and most feel the season can’t end soon enough.

Coming into Week 14, the Jacksonville Jaguars had lost three of their last four games by over 20 points, and that continued this Sunday. In fact, they suffered their biggest loss of the season and fell to the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 45-10.

To put it lightly, Sunday’s loss simply added more sting to what has already been a rough season and most fans left TIAA Bank Field thankful that just one home game remains. While the Jags have traditionally struggles against the Chargers with a 3-7 record against them (which is now a 3-8 record), nobody expected this type of beatdown.

The Jags were outmatched in every way Sunday, but the defense once again failed miserably when on the field as they were without two key starters in linebacker Myles Jack and safety Ronnie Harrison. Overall, the unit gave up a gut-wrenching total of 525 yards. Over 220 of those yards came from one player as nobody seemingly wanted to tackle tailback Austin Ekler, who gashed the Jags for over 100 yards on the ground and over 110 yards through the air.

Quarterback Philip Rivers also continued to be a problem for the Jags’ franchise, too. On his 38th birthday, he had his way with the defense, going 16-of-22 for 314 yards and three touchdowns. His success led to him being pulled out in the fourth quarter and backup Tyrod Taylor was entered into the game to have some success of his own.

On offense, Gardner Minshew II and company weren’t able to get much going either. If there were any positives, it was the fact that Minshew set the rookie franchise record with 15 touchdown passes. He ultimately finished the game 24-of-37 for 162 yards and a touchdown.

Running back Leonard Fournette also achieved a noteworthy feat by going over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second time in his career. Unfortunately, with the team being down by a massive deficit, they got away from the run, which only allowed him to garner 50 yards on the day on 15 carries.

With not much to look forward to aside from the season’s end and the potential of sweeping changes, Jags fans will at least get a break from watching the Jags struggle in their own stadium next week. Their next game will take place on the West Coast against the Oakland Raiders, who are currently 6-7. Kickoff for that game is set for Dec. 15 at 4:05 p.m. EST.