2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kyler Murray rising as Minshew hopes hit

Kyler Murray has seen his hopes of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year rise while Gardner Minshew’s prospects were damaged by a bad Week 9 loss.

The race for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award is one of the more intriguing subplots of the NFL season, with a number of strong candidates jostling for position as the campaign heads into its second half.

Week 9 could prove to be a pivotal one in deciding who ultimately claims the award, as some of the main contenders experienced vastly contrasting fortunes.

Here we look at whose stock is on the rise in the battle for the accolade and whose hopes have been damaged by recent performances.

Riser: Kyler Murray

Murray may have been unable to lead the Arizona Cardinals to an incredible comeback win in Week 9, but his efforts against the San Francisco 49ers’ vaunted defense, arguably the best in the NFL, will have many penciling him in for a second-half surge to clinch the honor.

The top overall pick was held in check by the 49ers for the first two quarters, but he enjoyed an excellent second half and made an impact with both his arm and his legs, his assured display highlighted by a stunning 88-yard connection to Andy Isabella.

After some expected early struggles, Murray appears to be growing in confidence. He has 2,229 passing yards and nine touchdowns with only four interceptions through the first nine games while adding 313 yards and two scores on the ground. If he continues to show signs of development down the stretch, Murray will be the frontrunner.

Faller: Gardner Minshew

Minshew could hardly have picked a worse time for his worst performance of the season, which came with Nick Foles’ return from a clavicle injury on the horizon.

The sixth-round pick could not produce the magic that has defined his rookie campaign on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, as he went 27 of 47 for 309 yards with two interceptions in an ugly 26-3 loss to the division rival Houston Texans.

A display in which Minshew looked skittish in the pocket throughout should not overshadow all the good he has done in keeping Jacksonville relevant and alive in the playoff race.

He has produced more than anyone could have expected of a day-three quarterback but, with the Jaguars on a bye in Week 10, the timing of his awful performance may lead head coach Doug Marrone to use the break to switch back to Foles and torpedo Minshew’s OROY hopes.

Riser: Josh Jacobs

Murray’s main challenger will likely end up being Jacobs, rather than Minshew, with the Raiders running back having further helped his cause with a fantastic performance in Oakland’s win over the Detroit Lions.

Jacobs racked up 120 yards and two touchdowns to help the Raiders get to 4-4. The only running back selected in the first round, Jacobs has emphatically justified that selection in his bell-cow role with the Raiders.

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On pace for over 1,600 yards from scrimmage, Jacobs has a great chance to pad those stats significantly in the coming weeks as he faces very exploitable defenses in the form of the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets.

Should Murray take a step back then Jacobs’ ability to capitalize on his upcoming favorable matchups could well decide the OROY race.

Faller: Terry McLaurin

McLaurin looked like a favorite for the award after his early-season heroics, but a series of awful matchups have severely dented his chances of taking the prize.

After going up against the Niners in a torrential downpour, and then facing the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills on the road, McLaurin has dropped well adrift of the pack following only 89 yards in his last three games.

An astute route-runner with the speed to get open deep, McLaurin has the skill set to get back into the conversation. However, at this point, it will take a remarkable effort for a receiver playing on a turgid, run-heavy Redskins offense to do so.