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Having lost Nick Foles for an extended period of time, Jacksonville Jaguars' head coach Doug Marrone wants the best for his backup, Gardner Minshew. Specifically, for Minshew to avoid the low hits he continues to take.
Marrone isn't concerned for Minshew's abilities, rather the players hitting him. Against the Denver Broncos in Week 4, the quarterback earned unflagged hits from outside linebackers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb — which later warranted fines. He also sustained one from linebacker Todd Davis, which banged up his knee and is forcing him to wear a brace.
In Week 5, Minshew again didn't get help from the referees. He stared down an official after Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Brian Burns hit him low.
“I would hope that everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to do and those are penalties for hitting him low,” Marrone said on Tuesday via Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union. “I think you get concerned when things are happening to your team that aren’t getting called…
Obviously, those things… We have the ability to turn them in, make people aware of it prior to [a game]. But… during the course of the game, you like to see that stuff get called and make sure that player safety is the number one thing that we harp on and we talk about. So, that’s the one thing that we should be doing well.”
Marrone chose his words carefully, as he isn't trying to cause drama heading into the mid-season point. But, he is doing the right thing: defending his quarterback. Considering Minshew's 2-2 record as a starter, and ability to win over an entire fan base in a flash, who could blame him?
