Colts' Gardner Minshew Receives High Praise From Texans' Head Coach
The Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans are set for a massive match-up this weekend, as the winner will be in the 2023 playoffs (and possibly a division winner) and the loser will be out of the race altogether.
With so much on the line for this week 18 showdown, the coaches for both teams are firmly focused on the opponent in front of them. We saw Colts' Head Coach Shane Steichen praise Texans' rookie quarterback C.J Stroud for playing "at an MVP level" earlier in the season. Houston Texans' Head Coach Demeco Ryans also had some praise to dish out for Colts' starting quarterback Gardner Minshew.
Ryans is no stranger to seeing how well Minshew has played this season, as these two teams faced off back in week two of this season. Minshew entered the game for the injured Anthony Richardson in the second quarter (with a 14-0 lead in hand). The veteran quarterback proceeded to complete 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 31-20 victory.
With so much riding on this upcoming match-up, I wanted to dive into Ryans' comments on the Colts' starting quarterback and give proper analysis and background to exactly what he was saying with his praise.
Breaking Down Ryans' Comments
Okay, so let's dive into these comments one by one and see exactly what the Houston head coach had to say about the Colts' current starting quarterback.
Ryans began his comments on Minshew by stating something that I'm sure is a tad divisive among Colts' fans:
Gardner (Minshew) has done a good job with his entire season. He's played really well for them.
Minshew has been a bit of roller coaster ride for the Colts this year as the starter, throwing for 3,164 yards and 15 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 12 games started for the team. Those passing stats don't really jump off of the page, but there has been some wild peaks and valleys in the quarterbacks' games.
He began the season playing safe, conservative football in outings against the Texans, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Tennessee Titans. He threw for roughly 184 yards per game in that span and kept the turnover numbers relatively low. After that starting stretch, the era of gunslinger Gardner took over.
During the Colts' three game losing streak to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cleveland Browns, and the New Orleans Saints, Minshew averaged 282 yards passing per game and had seven total touchdowns. Those numbers seem great on the surface, but the veteran quarterback also amassed nine turnovers in that three game stretch (five interceptions and four fumbles).
The Colts, and Minshew, have turned the corner since then however, as the team is 6-2 in the last eight games played. Minshew has found a steady rhythm as a passer in that stretch, averaging 220 yards passing per game and totaling nine touchdowns to seven turnovers in that span.
So, to fully digest what Ryans is saying in his introductory comments, I wouldn't say that Minshew has played "really well" for the Colts this season but he has certainly played good enough football for the Colts to win some crucial games of late.
Ryans' next quote may have been the one that caused the most controversy on Colts' social medias, as fans were split on agreeing or disagreeing with what the Houston head coach was saying:
You talk about the accuracy, you talk about him just being -- his movement in the pocket is what sets him apart. He's able to move up in the pocket, make plays. The scramble plays he makes, the explosives they're creating downfield -- he's done a really good job of leading this team as their quarterback, and he has that moxie, that playmaker [ability] to him that you can see on the tape.
In perfect politician fashion, I'm going to dissect this quote from more of a middle ground point of view. I understand what Ryans is going for with his first sentence but it may be difficult to understand for those of us that have watched every single Minshew snap in 2023.
Minshew's movement within the pocket is a massive reason why he has been able to find success this season, as Ryans states above. He has shown the ability to climb into available exit lanes in front of him and he has created explosive plays for the Colts as a result.
Minshew is second to just Tua Tagovailoa for most 50+ yard completions this season (5) and he's doing that throwing to Alec Pierce and Josh Downs rather than the greatest deep threat in football history (Tyreek Hill). This 53 yard bomb to Downs against the Raiders is a great example of Minshew finding space, keeping his eyes downfield, and creating an explosive pass:
The confusion with Ryans' quote here is equating pocket movement to pocket presence/pocket feel. Minshew is excellent at finding an interior exit lane and creating windows to throw, but his biggest downfall this year has been his overall feel in the pocket.
Minshew has the tendency to bail from clean pockets far too often, and as a result, it leads to missed opportunities down the field. The Colts couldn't convert on this third and long against the Las Vegas Raiders because Minshew bailed too early from a stable pocket and didn't work back to Pierce on the backside dig route.
This may seem like an irrelevant tangent to go on overall, but pocket movement =/= pocket presence. Minshew moves well to create space but his overall presence is his biggest issue as a passer.
All of that being said though, I don't necessarily disagree with Ryans' overall comments on Minshew there. There is a certain moxie in Minshew's playing style that you typically don't see in quarterbacks with his athletic ability and arm strength. He does create some big plays for the Colts despite his limitations, which have been massive for the backup quarterback in finding success.
Ryans' closed out his thoughts on the Colts' current starter by dishing some final words of praise to the veteran:
You can see guys really rallying behind him because they know the type of plays that he can make. But, he's done a really great job for them all year and that's why they're in this position they're in because of good quarterback play by Gardner.
It remains to be seen how much the Colts' truly believe in Minshew's ability as a quarterback, but there is no question that this team is rallying around the backup. In a year dominated by backup quarterbacks, Minshew has the most wins as a starter (7).
As for Minshew's play being the reason why the Colts are in this position, I don't necessarily disagree. Most teams have their entire season collapse when the starting quarterback goes down (look at the New York Jets for instance), but the Colts have been able to persevere to be in the position they currently are in. In relation to backup quarterback play around the league, Minshew 's play has propelled the Colts into the position that they are currently in.
Minshew, according to ESPN, ranks 11th in QBR on the season with a score of 60.3. That is good enough to rank him above players such as Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, and Joe Burrow on the season. He is also 16th in total EPA, which also ranks above Stroud in the overall metric.
So, in totality, I don't think that Minshew has been the driving force behind the Colts' success this season (it has been Shane Steichen in my opinion), but they wouldn't be in this position without his solid play off of the bench. The Colts have a quality backup quarterback has kept their season afloat in 2023, and it is one of the bigger reasons why they will be playing in a de facto playoff game this Saturday.
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