Glennon Get Nods as Jaguars' Starting QB Over Minshew For Week 17
It wouldn't be a week in 2020 for the Jacksonville Jaguars without quarterback questions. But as of now, the answer from the Jaguars is set to be a repeat from last week.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has gone through brutal cycling of his quarterback room this season, starting three different passers throughout the year. He is opting to not shuffle the lineup again in Week 17, however, announcing Wednesday that Mike Glennon would start against the Indianapolis Colts in the finale, leaving Gardner Minshew II on the bench.
"We're just going to keep it the same with Mike, and Gardner will be ready," Marrone said when asked about his starting quarterback for the season finale.
Marrone would later elaborate a bit on his decision, though his answer reveals a lot about how limited the Jaguars' staff likely perceives they are from a quarterback standpoint.
“We just feel like he gives us a good chance and we can operate, and see where it goes. I mean, honestly, I don’t think any one decision on the quarterback or any other position is really gonna move the needle one way or the other," Marrone said Wednesday.
"If it did, then obviously we would make it, but we don’t feel that way. Let’s go in there and let’s try to take advantage of some things.”
Marrone and his staff made the decision to start Glennon against the Chicago Bears in Week 16, giving the eighth-year veteran his fourth start of the season despite benching him for Minshew in Week 14. Jacksonville lost 41-17 and scored just seven points in the second half, converting zero third-quarter first downs.
Glennon completed 24 of 37 passes (64.86%) for 211 yards (5.7 yards per attempt), while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions. This gave him a passer rating of 75.4 but and adjusted yards per attempt of 4.35.
According to rbsdm.com, Glennon had the fifth-lowest EPA per play of all starting quarterbacks before Monday Night Football. By all accounts, it was another rough performance for the offense, even if Glennon had two solid touchdown passes.
Jacksonville (1-14) is in the middle of the longest losing streak in franchise history, losing every single game since Week 1. Glennon owns four of those losses, while Minshew has seven on his record. Rookie quarterback Jake Luton has three.
Here is how the three different quarterbacks have started for the Jaguars this season in five different segments.
- Gardner Minshew: Weeks 1-7
- Jake Luton: Weeks 9-11
- Mike Glennon: Weeks 12-14
- Gardner Minshew: Week 15
- Mike Glennon: Weeks 16-17
In four starts, Glennon has completed 62% of his passes for 811 yards (5.9 yards per attempt, 5.0 adjusted yards per attempt) for five touchdowns and five interceptions. This gives Glennon a passer rating of 75.4 and a QBR of 39.6.
In nine appearances (eight starts), Minshew has completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,259 yards (6.9 yards per attempt, 7.2 adjusted yards per attempt) for 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. This gives Minshew a passer rating of 95.9 and a QBR of 52.4.
The only area Glennon has an edge over Minshew is the rate at which defenses have sacked him. He has been sacked just three times this year, meaning he has been sacked on 2.1% of his dropbacks, a significantly better figure than Minshew's (though sample size plays a role here).
"It’s been tough. I think we all know that. I think it’s been tough. It’s not necessarily from the people you’re dealing with, the players themselves. All the players have been great," Marrone said on Monday about the struggles at quarterback.
"They’re trying, they’re doing their best, and we’re trying to do our best to put them in that position. It’s just been tough when you don’t get that production out of that position. There’s been a lot of things that go into it but obviously I haven’t really had an opportunity to really have someone in that position that can really get a lot of things done. That’s not the players’ fault.”
