Jacksonville Jaguars: Gardner Minshew gets the nod in Week 14

Gardner Minshew will be the starting quarterback, replacing Nick Foles, as the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have looked anemic on offense the past few games. Last Sunday, Doug Marrone pulled the switch at quarterback by replacing Nick Foles with Gardner Minshew. There was definitely a spark to the offense in the second half.

Doug Marrone announced on Monday that Minshew would ge given the keys to the offense going forward.

John Oehser of Jaguars.com reported the following comments from the head coach:

"“I handled the situation this morning,” Marrone said. “Gardner’s going to start for us versus the Chargers.”…“That’s what we’re doing going forward right now,” Marrone said. “We’re planning on him playing.”"

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Minshew Mania 2.0 will debut this Sunday in Week 14. The Los Angeles Chargers will bring their ferocious pass rush to TIAA Bank field. Let’s hope that the Jaguars offensive line is up for the challenge.

Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will look to pressure Minshew. They have combined for 14 sacks. Look for former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley to devise ways to wreak havoc on the Jacksonville pass protection scheme.

The key to victory is to win the battle in the trenches. Whether they are on offense or defense, Jacksonville must rule the line of scrimmage. They have been pushed around lately, especially the defensive line.

The Chargers are led by their franchise quarterback, Philip Rivers. He has completed 288 passes for 3,434 yards with 17 touchdowns. He has been sacked 26 times. Hopefully Josh Allen and Yannick Ngakoue will add to their combined sack totals of 15.

Also this week, Myles Jack went on the injured reserve list with a knee injury. Jacksonville’s defense has been ravaged with injuries all season. Expect the Jaguars to run clock on offense to keep the defense fresh.

Leonard Fournette is due for a big game. One way to neutralize the Chargers pass rush is to hit Fournette with screen passes. He leads the Jaguars with 65 pass receptions. If Jacksonville gives Los Angeles a heavy dose of Fournette, the downfield passing game will materialize. Minshew needs to make quick decisions and be accurate with his passes. Most of all, Andrew Norwell has to have a good game at left guard.

Fans of the Jaguars have lowered their expectations for a playoff berth but have high emotions for Minshew Mania. There will be many, many mustaches in the stands on Sunday expecting an entertaining game.