The Jacksonville Jaguars fell victim to another loss from a winless team, but instead of it being the Miami Dolphins, it was the Cincinnati Bengals this time around. While the defense by far looked worse than the offense, quarterback Gardner Minshew II was sure to make it known that he also played a role in the loss, specifically with how he started both halves.
“Yeah, the start of the first half was pretty bad and the start of the second half was pretty bad,” said Minshew after the game. “We’re going to have to go back and look at it and see what we are doing wrong. Just have to make sure we are getting into the right mindset every time we step out there.”
The moments in which Minshew specifically was eluding to was the pick he threw to linebacker Jordan Evans. In an attempt to hit tight end, Tyler Eifert, in the middle of the field, safety Jessie Bates III was able to deflect the pass and at that point, it became a tip drill with the ball landing in the waiting hands of Evans.
What a start for the defense! 😤
📺: #JAXvsCIN LIVE on CBS pic.twitter.com/V73I6dsnbC
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 4, 2020
As for Minshew’s start in the second half, it wasn’t pretty either. While it didn’t result in a pick, the Jags had a nice 40-yard run by James Robinson negated because of a holding call courtesy of James O’Shaughnessy. The offense was then in a first and 15 situation that Minshew preceded with three consecutive incompletions.
Ultimately, Minshew finished the game 27-of-40 for 351 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. He was far from the worst of the Jags’ issues, but there were some moments where he was jumpy in the pocket and that resulted in missed opportunities. This was something Minshew talked about last week and the issue once again reared its head.
“If you’re skipping reads and getting out early, that’s an issue,” Minshew said Wednesday . “It’s a process we’re working on week by week. Everyone looks back and takes accountability, and that’s a good thing. We all wish we had things we could do better and addressing moving forward will make us better.”
Only time will tell if Minshew can tighten up his issues as the Jags will face the Houston Texans next week. Their defense entered this week fourth against the pass, allowing just an average of 228.0 passing yards a game. At the rate the Jags’ defense is playing, it feels like Minshew is going to need a close to perfect game Week 5, much like we saw against the Indianapolis Colts.