Jaguars Name Gabbert Starter

Added on Sep 21, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

Well, this didn’t take long. The Jaguars have seen enough of quarterback Luke McCown under center and will now turn to rookie Blaine Gabbert for Sunday’s game with the Panthers. So, it will be a showdown between the number one pick from April’s draft, Cam Newton, and the tenth overall pick, Gabbert.

The journeyman McCown was thrust into a starting role days before the season opener after the surprising release of David Garrard. In two starts, McCown threw zero touchdowns, four interceptions and posted a rating of 30.6. All four of his picks came in Sunday’s embarrassing 32-3 home loss to the Jets.

In relief of McCown, Gabbert completed 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards. Whether or not he’s ready to assume the top spot on the depth chart matters little. Sticking with McCown would’ve increased the heat on head coach Jack Del Rio’s already sizzling seat. At this point, Gabbert can’t be much worse than a guy who’s made nine career starts in eight seasons.

The Jaguars identified Gabbert as the future of the franchise in April’s draft, trading up six places to grab him in the first-round. The 6’4″ 235-pound 21-year-old was a two-year starter at Missouri where he finished with 6,822 yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 18 interceptions and eight scores on the ground.

Del Rio has been heavily scrutinized for dumping Garrard, who was 39-37 as a starter and tossed 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions. The team saved $9 million by making the move, but with Del Rio’s job clearly on the line, it might not have been the smartest. Nevertheless, the beleaguered head coach’s future now rests in the hands of a rookie quarterback.

Gabbert’s first test comes on the road against a defense that yielded 813 yards and 58 points in two games. Of course, he’ll also be facing fellow rookie Cam Newton, who has thrown for 854 yards and accounted for five total touchdowns so far. The Panthers are 3.5 point favorites.

Source: NFL.com