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Factoid

Gardner Minshew

Can Minshew keep Las Vegas passing game afloat?

With Gardner Minshew entering the season as their starter, the Raiders have the most underwhelming quarterback situation in the league. Maybe he’s better right now than Bryce Young, Will Levis and Drake Maye, but at least those guys are youngsters, with some chance of getting better. Similarly, there’s at least some possibility Deshaun Watson can turn things around. And maybe Sam Darnold is better than he has seemed to be thus far.

With Minshew, he’s very much a placeholder quarterback. The Raiders will be in the market for a new starter next spring.

While expectations are modest for this passing game, however, Minshew has at least demonstrated some ability to operate an offense. Michael Pittman, as Exhibit A, got a lot better last year after Minshew took over. Pittman averaged 8.1 catches for 85 yards in his nine full games with the veteran at quarterback. So some chance, apparently, that Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers can catch some balls. Maybe Brock Bowers as well.

And Minshew has played well enough that it’s reasonable to ponder whether he might be able to outperform 5-10 of the other starters around the league. He’ll run some, and he’s had some success in different offenses in different cities. He’s 28.

Over the last four years, Minshew has averaged 245 passing yards in the 25 games he’s started, with 36 touchdowns versus 18 interceptions. He’s scored 5 touchdowns on his own in those games.

Since 2020, 35 quarterbacks have started at least 25 games. Minshew has been slightly more productive overall than over half of those guys. (He ranks 13th in passing yards, and 20th in TD passes.)

I won’t talk up Minshew too much. (I think he’ll be benched for Aidan O’Connell at some point.) But in Superflex leagues, where it’s a plus if you can land three quarterbacks, some team will be happy to land Minshew for that third QB role.

QUARTERBACKS PER GAME (last 4 yrs)
RkPlayerStPassTDPIntRunTDRPts
1.Josh Allen66265.82.08.8637.4.5628.9
2.Patrick Mahomes65292.52.20.6922.1.1226.6
3.Jalen Hurts51228.01.29.6547.5.8026.2
4.Kyler Murray49243.41.51.6938.9.4525.0
5.Lamar Jackson55210.21.51.6561.0.3124.6
6.Dak Prescott50273.62.10.7613.3.1624.6
7.Tom Brady50292.92.16.661.7.1224.3
8.Justin Herbert62277.81.84.6814.7.1823.9
9.Joe Burrow52270.81.87.7111.6.1923.4
10.Deshaun Watson28251.41.68.5727.2.1823.4
11.Kirk Cousins57269.52.02.686.9.0722.9
12.Aaron Rodgers50242.22.22.426.9.1422.6
13.Russell Wilson60232.01.78.6321.9.1722.0
14.Matthew Stafford57263.51.77.814.0.0220.9
15.Justin Fields38173.81.05.7657.5.3420.8
16.Geno Smith35242.21.54.5715.4.0920.5
17.Gardner Minshew25244.71.44.7210.1.2020.4
18.Jared Goff63257.31.56.634.4.1020.3
19.Carson Wentz37215.61.49.8617.1.2220.2
20.Tua Tagovailoa51244.51.59.737.5.1020.0
21.Trevor Lawrence50235.41.16.7819.3.2219.8
22.Ryan Tannehill53217.71.34.6413.4.3219.7
23.Ben Roethlisberger31243.31.77.65.5.0319.6
24.Derek Carr65250.91.52.696.0.0519.6
25.Matt Ryan45257.91.33.805.4.0919.4
26.Daniel Jones47201.8.81.6034.8.2318.4
27.Teddy Bridgewater31224.11.10.6112.6.2318.3
28.Taylor Heinicke28209.71.25.8917.9.1117.9
29.Baker Mayfield57217.51.37.689.5.0717.8
30.Jimmy Garoppolo37226.91.32.813.9.1117.7
31.Andy Dalton30219.91.33.878.5.0017.2
32.Sam Darnold30195.9.87.9018.4.3317.2
33.Davis Mills26216.61.23.925.5.0816.9
34.Mac Jones42212.31.10.867.8.0216.0
35.Zach Wilson33186.5.67.7314.9.1514.6

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index