I’m curious how much scoreboard watching will be done this weekend when the Jaguars travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals on Sunday? Do fans truly have a vested interest in how former members of the Black and Teal perform for their new bosses?
While looking at several social media outlets and accounts, fans have made their feelings known about Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue and Leonard Fournette all having a hand in winning football the first three weeks of the NFL.
Now, after Nick Foles was ushered into the game last week to help the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons, will the fans who called for his ouster last season in favor of Gardner Minshew prove to be the same ones who criticize the Jaguars decision to trade Foles if the Bears continue to remain undefeated with their new signal caller under center.
Life as a Jaguars fan has proven to be one of the oddest trips in the NFL, celebrating player success one week and then stepping on their jugular the next for poor performance. Being one of the worst NFL franchises of the past decade will do that to you. The few times DUUUVAL has been able to enjoy wins and has ben swept under a large rug because losing has become a disease for this organization.
I never thought I would be able to use a reference from The Natural in a football story, but it works well here.
Foles had modest numbers on Sunday, completing 16 of 29 passes for 188 yards. But he did throw three touchdown passes and kept his team undefeated. He proved again how good he can be in a backup role and could be the reason Da Bears make the playoffs in 2020.
Minshew looked good in his first two games of the season, but showed he is also still growing as a quarterback in the NFL during the 31-13 loss to Miami Thursday night. Does the idea of Foles helping a new team find success and how the Jaguars mismanage players on a yearly basis become a sideline story this season – possibly.
It’s one of those things Jaguars fans will follow, but how serious it becomes remains a mystery. It should also make for an interesting storyline for writers down the line. The Jaguars play Cincinnati this week where rookie Joe Burrow could carve the defense up like Ryan Kirkpatrick did last Thursday. Yes, an added story to follow.
Foles faces the Colts and his former offensive coordinator Frank Reich this coming week.
Like other Jaguars fans, I’ll be watching this weekend to see if the Jaguars can win their second game of the year. A 2-2 record with Houston and Detroit on the horizon is manageable if they get the much needed “W” this weekend. But I too will be watching the scoreboard, wondering if the Bears continue their winning ways in the shoulder of our former quarterback. It’s only natural to think “What IF” in this league.
The problem with that kind of reasoning, however, is the Bears appear to be in better shape with Foles under center than the Jaguars with their quarterback situation. I fear that becomes the story of the season, not the idea that Minshew is developing into the Jaguars front office hoped for.
And if that is the case, will it mean fans in Jacksonville will voice their opinions once again – that the team made a mistake with their offseason plans? It’s crucial this city pays attention to the growth of this football team. Watching former Jaguars find success elsewhere only hurts the game plan this organization hopes will become a winner again in the next couple of years.
