Washington State Cougars head coach Mike Leach only was around quarterback Garner Minshaw for one season but he believes he can do big things for the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Nick Foles on the IR with a collarbone injury, it's Minshaw who took over against the Kansas City Chiefs and he looked good completing 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Minshew played in an air-raid offense under Leach and he thinks that has helped get him ready to play in the NFL early in his career.
“He’s very committed,” Leach told Locked On Jaguars in a phone interview when asked if Minshew was ready to play.
“I think he’ll be more ready down the road, but I also think he’s a great player. [There are] guys elsewhere in the league that aren’t as ready to play as him – and several won’t ever be. I do think he will be very productive, and I think he’ll do a good job. He’s an incredibly smart guy so he can pick things up quickly.”
One of the big things that shows just how ready Minshaw is to play, is he was actually helping choose his own plays to run. Leach knows how good Minshew was with the Cougars at giving feedback on what was going well and what wasn't and he thinks that will help in the NFL.
“When you deal with him, it’s like dealing with a partner. You’ll get clear feedback and specifics — I think that parts good, but then I’ll tell [you], the other thing is, from a coaching standpoint, you got a rookie first-time starter. You want to run what he’s good at and what he’s comfortable with. And some of these packages are so big, he may not be comfortable with all of it – he’s doing it without a lot of NFL experience”
There is no doubt this week the Jaguars are trying to get the offense adjusted to what suits Minshew best, and he is going to have a chance to prove how much he has improved on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
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