Interceptions gets the biggest headlines when it comes to quarterbacks and turnovers. But as Indianapolis Colts fans learned with Matt Ryan behind center in 2022, a quarterback who fumbles a lot is just as hurtful to an offense as a quarterback who completes passes to the other team.
In Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns, Colts quarterback Garner Minshew tied a career high with 3 fumbles. Cleveland recovered all three.
The Browns returned one of those fumbles for a touchdown while the third ended a comeback effort from the Colts in the 39-38 loss.
Through seven games, which includes three starts, Minshew only has 4 interceptions. But he also has 5 fumbles.
Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter addressed Minshew's fumbling issues from Week 7 in front of the media on Tuesday. While it's obviously something Cooter wants the quarterback to eliminate going forward, he doesn't want Minshew to lose his aggressiveness as a result of protecting the football.
“A lot of times with the quarterback position, it is that same balance. Sometimes in the pocket – you’re in a muddy pocket, you’ve got an opportunity to maybe extend a play a little bit and try and make that conversion throw on a third down or make that extra throw to find that completion and get the ball out of your hand," Cooter said. "Just sort of weighing the positives and negatives of extending that play a little bit longer – what can happen good and what can happen bad? That’s an ongoing process for every quarterback in this league."
While the 3 fumbles were costly, Minshew arguably had the best performance of any quarterback this season against the Browns defense. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 305 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Minshew averaged a season-high 13.3 yards per pass. It was the first time this season the Browns allowed more than 200 passing yards in a game.
"There were a lot of really good plays in that game. Gave ourselves a real shot at winning that thing against a top-notch defense, and a lot of that was because of Gardner," Cooter said. "We’ll keep all the good plays and tighten it up just a little bit and keep this thing moving in the right direction.
"Shoot, you don’t want the guy to go into a shell and now he’s never ever trying to create plays and find extra completions out there."
Minshew emphasized eliminating his fumbles immediately after the loss to Cleveland on Sunday. Like Cooter, Minshew said ball security will be a focal point this week.
"We're already having conversations in the locker room just about trying to drill that and work that more," Minshew said about his fumbling. "That's not something I want to be a part of us and something that can't be a part of our game."
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