Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert improves but needs to be even better – NFL News
Jacksonville Jaguars second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert clearly moved away from last year’s performance that had ended the team at the bottom of National Football League’s offence chart as he brought the team closer to victory over the Minnesota Vikings
in the season opener on Sunday night, but he still has a long way to go yet to silence his critics.
Blaine looked to have further improved from the form he had shown in the preseason, completing 23 of 39 passes for 260 yards, which just fell short of helping the Jaguars avoid 23-26 loss against the hosts.
He said:
"At the end of the day, you can't control what just happened. It's in the past. It's history. So my job and this team's job is to learn from this past game."
An important change in the performance was the QB's control of the offence. He seemed to be well aware of what he was doing; reflective in the fact that he completed his throws with nine different receivers. Also, he did not force any throws.
Coach Mike Mularkey, one of the main reasons behind Blaine’s survival for another season at the Jaguars after the league-worst 65.4 passer rating he had recorded in the rookie appearance last year, was impressed with the performance.
Mike said:
"I thought he took another step forward today because this is a tough place to play against that team and this environment. He made some good throws to give us a chance to win all the way to the end."
So while it was a job well done by Blaine he should look for consistency in future. It is important for the QB to perform well in consecutive games to prove it is not just a game or two he can prove his mettle in.
It should also determine his immediate future in the league as anymore fumbles and lapses can prove costly to his pro career and he might end at some backup position in the longer run.
Also, if he is able to further step up his game, the Jaguars stand chance of giving better results on the field this year, which should help the cause of the new owner Shahid Khan and convince him further invest resources in building up his franchise.
Tags: