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Gardner Minshew clearly isn’t interested in the Jaguars tanking

By Sravan Gannavarapu

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Gardner Minshew II #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars drops back to make a hand off in the first half of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 20: Gardner Minshew II #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars drops back to make a hand off in the first half of a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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The Jaguars lost but Gardner Minshew clearly has no interest in tanking.

All offseason, talks about Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars primarily revolved around the team going into a tank mode for the 2020 season. Players such as Yannick Ngakoue, Ronnie Harrison and Leonard Fournette were either let go or traded away. And the presumption was that Jacksonville was positioning themselves to land Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Looking at the Jacksonville roster, other than Myles Jack, there aren’t many players who have a name-value that would be useful in the long term for trade or to even allure free agents to Duval County.

Minshew, however, showed that, even if the Jaguars do lose, there was one message that needed to be sent across the National Football League: The Jaguars aren’t going to tank the 2020 NFL season.

Gardner Minshew and the Jaguars are playing with something to prove.

That should be understood. The Jaguars, whether they win or lose, are not in the mode of tanking. Their last two games, while a small sample size, only supports that stance.

In Week 1 against Philip Rivers and the Colts, the offense scored three touchdowns through the air and a balanced rushing attack helped propel the Jaguars to a 27-20 upset win. Additionally, the defense was reminiscent of the old 2017 squad having grabbed two interceptions, including a late-game deflection by rookie C.J. Henderson to preserve the win.

Against the AFC runner-up and divisional rival Titans in Week 2, Minshew’s resolve continued with 339 yards passing and another three touchdowns. However, two interceptions proved costly in the 33-30 loss. Yet his confidence won over his teammates.

Rookie running back James Robinson also showed that he is worthy of being the starter with 102 yards on the ground and a touchdown. DJ Chark also showed why he is a No. 1 receiver with 84 yards on four catches.

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Jaguars fans, Trevor Lawrence is certainly an intriguing option and tantalizing for the future. But the players currently on the roster don’t want to tank; they want to play and they should be praised for their efforts.

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