AFC Notes: Marrone, Dolphins, Lawson
After the Jaguars ugly 42-20 loss to the Titans, the team fell to 4-7 and reporters asked head coach Doug Marrone if the team would be making any changes at quarterback or defensive coordinator. Marrone remained steadfast that he is not considering changes at either spot, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
Marrone, currently in his third season as Jacksonville’s official head coach (he served as the interim at the end of 2016), is still looking to replicate the success he found in his first year at the helm. That season the Jaguars had one of the best defensive units in football that carried a team with questionable quarterback play to the AFC Championship Game. Since, the team is 9-18 and recently looks in disarray defensively. On the opposite side of the field, rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew showed promise while Nick Foles was out with a broken collarbone. Foles returned last week, but has yet to lead a strong offensive performance.
Here’s some more Sunday notes from the AFC:
- Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is perfect for the Dolphins situation, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Fitzpatrick has helped their offensive unit maintain an acceptable level of competence, but not to a level that could cause the team to win enough games to have their first round pick fall outside the top five in next year’s draft. Salguero also notes that head coach Brian Flores’ choices have made clear that Miami believes that Josh Rosen is not the franchise’s answer under center.
- The Bills defense dominated the Broncos offense in Sunday’s 20-3 victory. It’s no secret that Buffalo has one of the best defensive units in football, but one player seemed to be playing with a little chip on his shoulder. According to Denver7’s Troy Renck, Bills edge rusher Shaq Lawson, who recorded two sacks on Sunday, looked for Broncos center Connor McGovern after the contest to tell him, “You will remember me now.” Apparently, McGovern said he did not who Lawson was prior to the game and the Clemson alum took note.
Jaguars To Start Nick Foles
Nick Foles is the Jaguars’ new starting quarterback, head coach Doug Marrone announced. Foles is ready to rock after recovering from a broken collarbone and Minshew’s rough outing against the Texans in London cost him the No. 1 gig. 
“It’s not one game,” Marrone said of the QB situation on Sunday, after the Jags took the L in London. “It’ll be a body of work.”
Foles’ body of work, which includes a Super Bowl ring, trumped Minshew’s largely impressive, but occasionally rocky, rookie season. There’s still hope for Minshew, but the Jaguars gave Foles a hefty contract this offseason for a reason. The veteran probably gives the Jaguars their best shot to win right now and turn their 4-5 season around.
Foles’ longstanding relationship with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo probably played a role in the decision as well. DeFilippo saw the Super Bowl LII MVP at his very best and believes that he can eek out an encore in 2019.
Thanks to the four-year, $88MM deal he signed with Jacksonville in the offseason, Foles is under contract through the 2022 season.
Marrone Tightlipped On Jags’ QB Situation
The Jaguars suffered an ugly 26-3 loss to the Texans during the London game Sunday, but head coach Doug Marrone didn’t tip his hand when speaking to reporters after the game. It was widely believed that rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew could hang onto the starting job with a strong performance against Houston, but obviously that didn’t materialize.
Marrone certainly didn’t hint that he was going to go back to Nick Foles, which suggests he’s at least strongly considering sticking with Minshew even after the rough outing. Interestingly, Marrone said “it’s not one game, it’ll be a body of work” that he looks at when making the decision, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, which would seem to indicate Minshew’s poor game won’t necessarily be the nail in his coffin. Marrone also added that he’ll likely make the decision sometime right before the team gets back together from their bye week, around next Sunday.
Minshew brought an initial jolt of excitement to the franchise, but he has been inconsistent recently. The Jaguars gave Foles a rich contract this offseason, and he hasn’t even played a full game for them yet. The Jags are now 4-5 after the loss, although they’re still very much alive in a muddled AFC wild card race. Against the Texans, Minshew finished with 309 yards, but it took him 47 attempts and he also threw two interceptions.
It sounds like we won’t know for about another week if Minshew Mania is indeed coming to an end. Foles has the contract working in his favor, as well as his longstanding relationship with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who helped coax a Super Bowl run out of him two seasons ago. The decision could ultimately come down to input from leaders in the locker room, like defensive lineman Calais Campbell. Whoever Marrone decides to go with, they’ll probably be on a pretty short leash and at risk of getting yanked for the other at any time.
Latest On Gardner Minshew, Nick Foles
Jaguars high-priced QB Nick Foles is expected to be healthy enough to return to the field in Week 11, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reiterates (video link). However, Rapoport indicated that if Foles’ replacement, sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew, played well against the Texans in London today, Jacksonville could continue to roll with Minshew and have Foles serve as his backup.
But there’s a problem: Minshew did not play well in the Jags’ loss to Houston. He completed 27 of 47 passes for 309 yards and accounted for four turnovers (two lost fumbles and two interceptions). As such, and as Rapoport indicated in a follow-up tweet, the Jags will have a tough decision to make in the next week or so (the team has its bye next week).
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also heard that Minshew had a chance to keep his starting job, but now his immediate future is looking much more uncertain. The Jaguars are on the fringe of the playoff picture, and while it is difficult to envision them as legitimate contenders in 2019, it would also be tough for them to keep the experienced (and well-paid) Foles on the sidelines while there is still a chance at the postseason.
Minshew has injected some life into the Jags’ franchise, but he looked very much like a rookie today, and he has struggled with fumbles all season. He obviously has plenty of promise, but he still has a lot to learn, and he may have to do some of that learning as a backup.
Latest On Jaguars’ Jalen Ramsey
Jaguars star Jalen Ramsey will not practice on Wednesday, per the club’s daily blast. Ramsey is listed as unable to participate with a back injury, though many have been suspicious about his continued absence. 
Ramsey wants out of Jacksonville, and the Jaguars seem poised to trade him, but the club’s asking price seems to be a barrier to a deal. At the outset, they started the bidding at two first-round picks. Recently, a contending team offered two first-round choices, but the Jaguars turned down the deal with the belief that those picks would likely fall at the end of the draft.
Nearly every team in the league seems to be interested in Ramsey, but Peter King of NBC Sports recently speculated that the Chiefs and Ravens rank high on that list. He also believes the Chargers could join the fray.
For any club, Ramsey would mark a massive upgrade for today and become a huge cornerstone for seasons to come. The appeal is obvious – he’s one of the very best corners in the game and won’t turn 25 until later this month. On the flipside, acquiring Ramsey would mean giving the young star a top-of-the-market deal that is commensurate with his ability, so the notion of sacrificing two first-round picks for him is unpalatable to most franchises.
In related news, quarterback Gardner Minshew was added to the injury report with a knee ailment, but that issue is believed to be minor. Right now, it sounds like he’ll be available to face the Panthers this weekend.
Jaguars To Place Nick Foles On IR
The Jaguars will not have their well-paid free agent quarterback for at least two months. Doug Marrone confirmed Nick Foles underwent surgery Monday. He will head to IR.
While no definitive timeline exists for the first-year Jaguar, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) this is not expected to be a season-ending injury. The Jags hope Foles will return later in 2019. Foles suffered a broken left clavicle against the Chiefs, sending sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew into action in what became a two-score loss.
Foles has experience with this type of malady. He suffered a clavicle break in 2014, leaving an Eagles-Texans game that season on Nov. 2. He did not return that year (and did not return as an Eagle until 2017). Per IR rules, Foles cannot come back to game action until at least Week 11. The 30-year-old passer must miss eight weeks, but since the Jags have a Week 10 bye, their Nov. 17 date with the Colts in Indianapolis would be the earliest target date for their starting quarterback.
Jacksonville traded a 2020 fifth-round pick for Pittsburgh backup Josh Dobbs on Monday. Dobbs is expected to play behind Minshew, at least for the time being, per NFL.com’s James Palmer (Twitter link). Minshew completed 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.