QB Blaine Gabbert admits Jacksonville Jaguars need to pull harder to beat Chicago Bears – NFL Preview
The Chicago Bears are upbeat about the preparedness for their next game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday (Oct. 07) and from the form shown by the hosts so far this season it appears beating the visitors will be a tough challenge for the Jaguars.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert – the second-year offence leader of the team – admits they will have to pull themselves really hard to secure a win.
He said:
"We've got to perform better. We've got to execute better at a higher level. We've just got to get better there, get back to the drawing board, control what we can control and just get better from it."
Blaine, who has once again been inconsistent in his performance, is in the spotlight and a possible failing on his part once more will certainly add to the pressure on him. He was the core of coach Mike Mularkey’s strategy last week but could not help much
his side to claim a win.
It is unclear what sort of strategy the coach will come out with in the Bears’ game. His decision to minimise the number of plays for running back Maurice Jones-Drew in the last game versus the Cincinnati Bengals to strategically exploit the former’s weakness
in absence of key defensive players due to respective injury scares could not work out.
The decision was particularly seen too costly for the team given Maurice had led them with impressive 177 yards to a win over the Indianapolis Colts a game earlier. It was a big gamble taken by Mularkey and he failed.
Now some analysts expect the coach reversing his strategy to give due share of plays to Maurice and there is a possibility that the star performer helps his side’s victory chances.
He should also expect Blaine to put up a strong show and if he manages to do so, the Jaguars have an outright chance to beat the Bears, although a big questions mark over the Jaguars’ QB potential to perform up to the expectations lingers on.
Nevertheless, even an average performance combined from trio of Maurice, Blaine and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who is so far below his potential, can make a win a possibility for the hosts.
A defeat will push the Jaguars far behind their rivals in the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and they might be heading to the same 5-11 record of the last season.
The Bears are coming into the game with 3-1 record, exactly opposite of Jaguars’ 1-3, and from their form they appear to be well on the course of beating the hosts this weekend, even if it is a close-margin win.
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