What Jaguars HC Doug Marrone Thinks of QB Play Inside and Outside of Pocket

Gardner Minshew made a lot of plays on the run last year. Should that continue in 2020?

Jacksonville Jaguars Gardner Minshew II has always marched to his own beat. From his jorts, 80s rock cutoff shirts, and mustache, to his on-field play. 

So there is no surprise to see Minshew doesn't exactly operate like your prototypical quarterback on the field. While he has extensive experience as a shotgun pocket passer who delivers passes to all levels of the field, he is also able to win with surprising scrambling ability that helps him extend plays and create big gains while operating outside of the structure of plays.

As a rookie, Minshew went 6-6 in starts on his way to completing 60.6% of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also added on 344 yards on 67 rushes, and this doesn't even factor in the impact his legs had on passing downs. 

Here’s the second-reaction ability with Minshew. Movement traits + off-platform throws. #Jags @NFLMatchup @ESPNFantasy pic.twitter.com/2C5S1Gl7aX

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) May 14, 2020

But there is always the chance of a head coach and/or offensive coordinator wanting to dial back their quarterback's scrambling ability. Whether it be to preserve their health and save them from hard hits outside of the pocket or to keep the offense more on schedule, many coaches would rather their quarterbacks play in the confines of the offense. 

This isn't the case with Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, and for good reason. Marrone is an adaptable coach who is willing to let his players do what they do best, and such is the case when it comes to quarterbacks and playing inside or outside of the pocket.

“Yeah I think you gotta look at it a couple of different ways. I think when you schematically get outside the pocket and you have the ability to do that, you wanna make sure that you’re accurate and still pushing the ball vertically down the field," Marrone told local media Friday. 

"When you’re in the pocket, obviously you want the rhythm, you want the ratings, you want to be able to diagnose the coverages that are going on, be able to deliver the football. And then I think the next thing is, ok when nothings there, can you (inaudible) meaning are you gonna hold the ball, are you gonna move around a little bit and what is your vision down the field."

Marrone knows his starting quarterback will have to use his legs at least occasionally. NFL quarterbacks are often forced to adjust on the fly to compensate for offensive line failures or defensive game plans, and this was often the case for Minshew in 2019. 

But regardless of what Minshew does in terms of style of play in 2020, Marrone and his staff just want to ensure that the second-year signal-caller is improving one way or another. From pushing the ball downfield on standard drops to keeping his eyes up and finding an open receiver when he breaks out of the pocket, an emphasis will be made on improvement, accuracy, and decision-making.

"I think that, in all three things that we’ve talked about that occur for the quarterback, we just wanna continue to get better out of that," Marrone said. "So whether it’s the drop back game or the three-step, five-step under center, whether it’s the shotgun game. Whether we go on the move and then really getting to a point of making good decisions when you break the pocket, whether you’re running down or whether you’re gonna hold that ball a little bit and push it down the field vertically. 

"At the end of the day the thing I kinda look to increase is outside the pocket moving is, again, is just gonna concentrate on the accuracy and the reads of the quarterback.”