Jaguars vs. Falcons: Jacksonville Loss Exposes More Problems Than Blaine Gabbert

Jacksonville’s rookie QB Blaine Gabbert turned in another wretched performance last night in Atlanta. The Falcons slaughtered the Jaguars 41-14 as Gabbert threw for just 141 yards and one TD while being intercepted once and fumbling twice.

However, as miserable as Gabbert’s season has been, last night’s blowout reiterated that he’s not the only problem for the rebuilding Jaguars. Indeed, superstar RB Maurice Jones-Drew may be the only offensive player not in line to be replaced next season.

As badly as Gabbert’s played, the receiving corps has been a serious (and largely unremarked) problem in its own right. Mike Sims-Walker’s free-agent departure has left the rookie QB throwing to a collection of no-names like Chastin West (who caught Jacksonville’s lone offensive TD last night).

Even Marcedes Lewis, the former Pro Bowl TE, has disappointed mightily on the year, catching just 35 passes and zero TDs. A great tight end should be a security blanket for a young QB, not a liability.

Gabbert also isn’t getting much in the way of help from his offensive line, which deserves at least some of the blame for the five sacks Gabbert took last night. John Abraham is a solid player even at 33, but he shouldn’t be getting 3.5 sacks in a game by himself anymore.

If Gabbert had shown the kind of promise Colt McCoy did in Cleveland last year, he’d probably be getting some of the same wait-and-see treatment. However, because Gabbert and the offense have been so bad, he’s being shown the door by fans even before his rookie year is done.

Until he has a more viable offense around him, it’s too soon to give up on a rookie who (unlike Cam Newton) has thrown more TDs than INTs this season. If a great QB falls to the Jaguars in the draft, that will be one thing, but if not, this is not a team that should be thinking about betting the farm to trade up for a replacement for Gabbert.