Last year, Gardner Minshew was viewed by some as a poor man’s Baker Mayfield. This year, Baker Mayfield has been viewed by some as a poor man’s Gardner Minshew.
Last night, none of it mattered.
The Dolphins’ pass rush kept Minshew from ever getting truly settled, forcing him to move and to hurry throws and to otherwise test the limits of his own abilities -- a test he failed more often than not.
“It’s something we have been working on,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said after the game regarding his team’s pass rush. “Every team wants to get pressure on the quarterback. We were able to do that tonight. There were instances where we could have done better, but definitely improved from previous weeks. They have a good O-line. They have a good quarterback. They have good skill guys, so it was a tough test for us. Our guys came ready to play tonight. They played fast. They played physical, there was a lot of energy on the field and I am sure you guys could see that. They were fired up. It was a short week but put a lot of time in as a team and they did a lot of extra work this week. It was important for them and they saw the fruits of their labor.”
The Dolphins sacked Minshew four times and hurried him 10 other times in a 31-13 win.
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who had a key fourth-down sack of Minshew, explained that the team specifically has tried to improve when it comes to getting to the quarterback.
“I think that’s a huge emphasis for us these last two weeks, especially after the losses, so getting that under our belt is awesome,” Hill said. “We had a good short week of practice, but I mean it paid off and it’s exciting to see that.”
The end result underscores the importance of a potent pass rush, especially when facing a quarterback who (unlike a handful of the truly special players) can’t evade the front seven long enough to make a big play with his arm or his feet. Minshew, like most quarterbacks, falls into the category of guys who have a hard time making chicken salad when the blocking goes to chicken pot pie.