Gardner Minshew had a heckuva run as Jaguars quarterback, brief as it was, but it should come to an end when Jacksonville goes QB-hunting in the 2021 draft. (Jacksonville.com)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Browns v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday, 1 p.m., in TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Record: 1-9.
Last game: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-3, Nov. 22, in Jacksonville.
Coach: Doug Marrone, 23-37, fourth year; 40-55 overall.
Series record: Jaguars lead, 12-5.
Last meeting: Jaguars won, 19-7, Nov. 19, 2017, in Cleveland.
League rankings: Offense is 27th overall (28th rushing, 22nd passing), defense is 30th overall (24th rushing, 29th passing) and turnover differential is minus-6.
Things to watch
1.Quite a Tuesday for this 1-9 team. Three defensive starters were placed on injured reserve – defensive end Josh Allen, cornerback D.J. Hayden and safety Daniel Thomas. Also, the entire defensive coaching staff was called to self-isolation because of Covid-19 protocols. Further, kicker Chase McLaughlin was placed on the Covid-19 reserve list. He’ll be replaced by Aldrick Rosas, who just came off a four-game NFL conduct policy suspension stemming from a no-contest plea to charges from a reckless driving incident in 2019. On top of all that, coaches had to yet to decide their starting quarterback from among rookie Jake Luton (six interceptions in three starts), Gardner Minshew (out three weeks with a thumb fracture and ligament damage) or veteran Mike Glennon (who has made 31 pass attempts in three years; none this season). And you thought the Browns had problems?
2.It’s looking like Minshew is the best bet to return to the starting QB spot. The swashbuckling, 2019 sixth-round pick from Washington State became a Florida folk hero as a rookie, winning six of 12 games with a 21-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 91.6 passer rating. Minshew Mania peaked when he completed 19 of 20 passes for three touchdowns in a stunning, 27-20 upset of the Colts in this year’s season opener. The Cinderella story faded over six successive losses as defensive coordinators seized upon Minshew’s rag arm and inability to play from the pocket. Relegated to dinking and dunking, Minshew was able to maintain decent statistics (13-to-5 TDs-to-INTs and a 94.4 rating), but he proved severely lacking in throwing downfield when his play-action game was taken away by repeated deficits. Minshew irritated coaches by concealing his thumb injury for two games. The guy is ultra-competitive.
3.When the Jaguars review what may be their worst season ever – they were 2-14 in 2012 – they feel good about having discovered their new feature back. James Robinson, undrafted out of Illinois State, has 762 rush yards and 249 receiving yards. He’s on pace for 1,219 yards rushing and 1,616 yards combined, which would be the most ever by an undrafted player in his rookie season. His seven touchdowns are third among rookies behind Pittsburgh’s Chase Claypool (10) and Washington’s Antonio Gibson (eight). He doesn’t have breakaway speed but he consistently gains positive yards. He’s third in rushing behind Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook.
4.In-season trades and subsequent injuries may result in as many as five rookies starting on defense on Sunday.
Did you know … ?
1.Like with the Browns, linebacker Joe Schobert has been an iron man with the Jaguars, playing 98.4 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Because the Jaguars’ defense is on the field so much, Schobert is on pace to set a personal season high with 1,094 defensive snaps. With the Browns, he had 1,068 in 2017 and 1,059 in 2019. Not surprisingly, Schobert leads the Jags with 85 tackles – 20 more than runner-up Myles Jack.
2.You can fill in quarterback for the Jaguars in mock drafts with permanent marker. Trades of defensive players netted them extra picks in the first round (from the Rams, for cornerback Jalen Ramsey), second (Vikings, for Yannick Ngakoue) and fifth (Browns, for Ronnie Harrison).
3.Media and fans don’t expect the Jags to bring back coach Doug Marrone and GM David Caldwell. In eight years as GM, Caldwell has overseen seven double-digit losing seasons (assuming one more loss in 2020), hired two coaches and drafted a ‘franchise quarterback.’ Marrone coached the team to the AFC Championship Game with Blake Bortles at QB his first year, but has had three losing seasons since. Nobody knows what owner Shad Khan is thinking, but the feeling is if the franchise is going to take a quarterback high, then that new era should start with a new GM and coach, too.
4.The Jaguars may not be able to catch the 0-10 Jets for the first pick in the 2021 draft. But they’re not going to be caught for the second pick, either. After the Browns, they play the Vikings, Titans, Ravens, Bears and Colts.
Small world: Linebacker Joe Schobert was a fourth-round draft pick of the Browns in 2016 and left in free agency after the 2019 when the Browns did not make him an offer … GM David Caldwell is a graduate of John Carroll University … Running backs coach Terry Robiskie coached with the Browns from 2001-06 and served as interim head coach in 2004 … Offensive line coach George Warhop had the same job with the Browns from 2009-2013 … Former Browns players now on the coaching staff include tight ends coach Ron Middleton (1989), wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell (1992-95) and assistant strength and conditioning coach Cedric Scott (2002) … Assistant strength and conditioning coach Tom Myslinski was with the Browns from 2003-04 and 2007-09.