Jacksonville Jaguars: Winners and Losers from Jags' Loss vs. Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars showed they still had some fight but fell short against the Bengals in what was a surprisingly close game. 

It was a very windy afternoon in Jacksonville and early on it seemed the weather conditions would limit both Blaine Gabbert and Andy Dalton. That wasn't the case, as both rookie quarterbacks played well but this was far from a shootout. 

Here are a few winners and losers from the Jags' early Sunday loss to the Bengals. 

Winner: Blaine Gabbert

Gabbert played well against a top-notch Bengals defense (can't believe I'm writing that). The Bengals have a very underrated defensive line, and despite the constant pressure, Gabbert was still effective. The Jaguars O-line, which I'll talk about a little later in this article, didn't play well, making Gabbert's performance that more impressive. 

Down three with a little less than eight minutes to go, Gabbert threw a gorgeous 74-yard bomb to wide receiver Jason Hill to put the Jaguars up six. The most impressive aspect of that play was that Gabbert threw against the wind, which really showed off the young rookie's arm strength. 

Gabbert finished with 221 yards and a touchdown. 

Winner: Jason Hill

Jason was very effective against a Bengals defense that came into this contest third against the pass. The big hookup with Gabbert was a huge play that gave the Jaguars the lead with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

As an avid 49er fan, I remember Hill in his days with San Francisco. He was very underrated and not used effectively in San Francisco. Hill had a solid season last year with the Jaguars and I expect him to form quite a tandem with Mike Thomas, who just recently received a well-deserved three-year contract extension. 

Loser: Jaguars Offensive Line

The offensive line run blocked well but played below average in pass protection. The Bengals defensive line made Gabbert uncomfortable in the pocket despite the quarterback's solid outing.

The Jaguars offensive line has given up six sacks in the last two games. 

Winner: Maurice Jones-Drew

MJD played a solid game against a Bengals defense that is seventh against the run. Jones-Drew didn't finish with 100-plus yards, but was still effective enough to alleviate some pressure off Gabbert. 

Loser: Brad Meester

Meester was involved in that botched snap that ended any attempt of a comeback for the Jaguars. From the angle I was watching, it seemed that Meester heard or saw something that made him hike the ball before Gabbert was ready. 

The blame could also be directed toward Gabbert, but it seemed that Meester was mostly at fault.