Campbell, Conley Offers Up Praise for Jaguars’ Passers After Quarterback Decision

In the wake of Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone's decision to start Nick Foles at quarterback and have Gardner Minshew II resume the backup role, the Jaguars' locker room has reacted.

"We are excited for the opportunity of him being back in the huddle. We know that its a guy that a lot of guys enjoy playing with," veteran wide receiver Chris Conley told Jaguars.com after the decision.

But while Conley is eager to have Foles back on the field, the first-year Jaguars player also had high praise for Minshew, who went 4-4 as a starter while filling in for Foles after the veteran went down with a clavicle injury in the Jaguars' Week 1 game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

"We're excited for the opportunity of him being back."@_flight17_ discusses the quarterback decision. pic.twitter.com/DO94ygJBrS
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 5, 2019

"But I think a huge thing that this team is echoing is so grateful for the effort and you know, the play of Gardner Minshew, him coming out there and helping us win games and keep the season alive," Conley said. "He is one of those guys that when leaned on, got so much better over the course of the preseason and through those first games to put this offense in a position to be viable each week."

With Jacksonville at 4-5 heading into its Week 10 bye, the team still has a chance at making noise in the AFC despite Foles going down only 11 plays into the season. A big reason for that is Minshew, Conley said.

"This team, we are not out of anything. And a lot of that is due to the play of 15," he said.

Defensive lineman and captain Calais Campbell shared similar sentiments to Conley. The elder of the locker room told Jaguars.com that it is a big boost to get Foles back into the fold due to his experience and leadership, while Minshew gave the team the chance to win a lot of games during his time as a starter.

"I think he's going to give us the opportunity to win us a lot of games."@CalaisCampbell discusses the quarterback decision. pic.twitter.com/44HPYs99L7
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) November 6, 2019

"Foles is a captain of the team too, you know, he is a great leader. And I think he is going to give us the opportunity to win a lot of games," Campbell said.

"But I am also excited that Gardner was able to play so good. I mean, when you see a quarterback go down Week 1 it is never a good thing. And then Gardner steps in and plays great, and he allows us to win a lot of ball games."

The structure of the Jaguars' offense will surely change with the veteran passer manning the helm instead of the 23-year old rookie. Not only does Foles bring vast more experience to the table, but he brings a vastly different skillset as well.

Minshew made a lot of his big plays as a passer thanks to his mobility and ability to extend plays. This gave receivers like Conley a chance to work back to the quarterback and find open holes in coverages as teams keyed in on Minshew's running ability. With Foles now handling passing duties, expect less scrambling and more deep balls, Conley noted.

"Things are really mobile with 15 in there; a lot of plays made on the run," Conley said.

"(Foles) is not quite as mobile as 15, but (he) is a big guy and really likes to push the ball downfield. So you know, I expect us to have to get our win in a little bit of a different way. Maybe not on scrambles but a lot of deep balls and being able to affect coverage and stretch the field."

Add us as a preferred source on Google