By Ed Condran
Who knew Gardner Minshew needed a pep talk? During the second quarter of the Las Vegas Raiders 26-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens in early September, Minshew threw an interception. Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby pulled his quarterback aside and gave him a verbal jolt that no energy drink could provide.
“He grabbed me and just said, ‘Hey, we got your back, dude,’ ” Minshew said while speaking with reporters at the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Clark County. “ ‘We need that Washington State Gardner. We need that.’ And I was like, ‘Man, you’re right, dude. Let me see if I can go whip that up real quick.’ ”
The quirky Minshew, who threw for 4,779 yards and 38 touchdowns as a college senior at Washington State University in 2018, turned it on during the second half of the game, as the Raiders scored on four consecutive drives and 13 unanswered points to upset the Ravens in Baltimore.
The Raiders were 9.5 underdogs, but thanks to Minshew leading the way, the Ravens were beaten. Some, such as the intense Crosby, weren’t surprised that Minshew pulled off the unlikely.
The believers recall Minshew-Mania, which swept Florida and some of the nation in 2019, when the Mississippi native became the Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback as a rookie. After Jaguar quarterback Nick Foles was injured, Minshew stepped in and had a magical season in which he posted an impressive 91.2 passer rating.
One of the highlights of his initial season was going 17-29 for 201 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-16 comeback victory over the Oakland Raiders, which was the last Raiders game to be played in The Oakland Coliseum.
The oft-amusing Minshew said he saw “more middle fingers today than I have in my whole life.” After spending the last few seasons primarily as a backup quarterback with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and the Indianapolis Colts, Minshew is the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback.
No one knows how the season will unfold, but it’s a certainty that it will be entertaining since Minshew is lining up behind center. Minshew is an anomalous quarterback in an age of pro athletes who answer questions in a robotic manner and say as little as possible.
The outgoing Minshew possesses Southern charm and quick wit. But don’t sell the left of center athlete short. Minshew can throw the ball, scramble when necessary and lead a team. However, sometimes he needs the uplift that only a player like Crosby can provide.
