Blaine Gabbert's Teammates Believe In Him
by Alfie Crow on Dec 9, 2011 11:01 AM EST
in Jacksonville Jaguars News
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While there have been quite a few Jacksonville Jaguars fans who are ready to bail on quarterback Blaine Gabbert, it's not time to give up on him. I wrote earlier in the week for SB Nation Tampa Bay, asking if the Jaguars should consider looking at a quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. While I think they should consider it, it doesn't mean I'm giving up on Gabbert nor do I think they actually will consider it. Adam Stites wrote a good piece as to why the Jaguars shouldn't think quarterback in 2012, and fundamentally he's right. It's highly unlikely the team will target a quarterback, early, and the set of circumstances Gabbert was thrown into isn't conducive to building a quarterback. Gabbert's teammates seem to agree, and support him.
"You're talking about the worst possible situation in which a quarterback was thrown into the fire," guard Uche Nwaneri told the Florida Times-Union. "It's B.S. that people think Blaine isn't going to be any good. I think he's going to be a beast.
"There are things you have to fail at before the light goes on. We see [Gabbert's] potential. We're not worried about it. People are going crazy over something they shouldn't be going crazy over. Blaine's going to be all right," Nwaneri continued.
Naturally, the team is going to have support for their quarterback. I tend to take what Uche Nwaneri says to heart, however. He's one of the more honest and blunt players I've ever spoken with. While I didn't speak with Nwaneri on this manner, I imagine it was typical Nwaneri speaking.
"Blaine is going to be as good as hell. We just got to get more time with him," wide receiver Mike Thomas told the Times-Union. Thomas brings up a good point about time. The problem with Blaine Gabbert's performance thus far is just the perfect storm of disaster. No rookie quarterback was going to succeed here. It doesn't help fan sentiment either when four other rookie quarterbacks have come in and at times played fantastic football games while Gabbert has been limited to just look great on a handful of drives.
Take a moment and assess the situation. It was a lose, lose. Yes, David Garrard was moderately successful with roughly the same cast of characters, but he was a nine-year veteran. He knew where to go on the intermediate routes when the plays broke down. We have to remember however, in training camp and the preseason David Garrard was poor as well. The offensive unit outside of Maurice Jones-Drew isn't very good. The offensive line has good pieces to it and Marcedes Lewis is having quite a bit of off year, but overall it's a bad unit. Blaine Gabbert was never going to put up big numbers.
From something I wrote the morning after I first reported Gabbert was the new starter, and something we always need to remember this season:
It's going to be fun to watch Gabbert grow, but just remember a few things as he grows:
- Starting Gabbert isn't throwing away the season automatically.
- Gabbert is going to make mistakes, probably a lot of them.
- Gabbert is going to make mistakes. Seriously, he's a rookie. Be patient now that he's playing.
Tighten the buckle. It's frustrating, believe me. Even my patience is wearing thin, but tighten the strap.
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Rational thinking. I’ve come to miss this. Thanks Alfie!
by thegoodz on Dec 9, 2011 11:33 AM EST via mobile reply actions
The players are saying what they are supposed to say
They supported DG when he was getting heat, They supported Luke when he was made the stater and David was released. They supported Blaine when Like was benched. Not a real surprise that this team is publicly behind its starting QB.
Jaguars fan from day 1
Its good to hear that this is not just good PR
but that players truly support him.
Jaguars fan from day 1
I felt confident he wasn't
just talking fluff when he said “….I think he’s going to be a beast.” If you’re just backing the current guy, you might say something along the lines of “he’s coming along” or “he’s going to be alright”. But he clearly sees something more or he had no reason to say that.
Good piece
There are two things that concern me about Gabbert: reticence in the pocket and inaccuracy. The first is less of an issue, I think … true, you can’t coach courage, but with better protection and more experience taking hits he should toughen up. Peyton Manning has had a decent career and he has always shied away from pressure. But the consistently poor accuracy on even the most routine crossing routes is very troubling and I don’t know what can be done about it if anything. My hope rides on a proper off season. But I couldn’t agree more that it’s too early to give up on him.
Does anyone realize that he was only a 2 year product in a spread offense?
It’s like trying to golf left-handed (for a RHer)
He was also the 10th overall pick in the draft
and fairly or not there is an expectation of performance being drafted that high.
Jaguars fan from day 1
But everyone in the organization told us
that he wasn’t going to be ready day 1 and would need to sit a year. Some have chosen not to listen.
Come on. You draft a qb in the top 10, trade away picks for to sit on the bench
Even if you believe that bc Brian sexton or cole pepper told us that, there is no excuse for him to perform as the 33rd rated qb in the league. This whole theory of BG learning from David and becoming the next Aaron Rodgers was a bunch of crap from the beginning.
by Slawsc on Dec 9, 2011 1:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
You cant link a rookie QBs success to that of other 1st rd picks playing other positions.
An NFL QB has the hardest job in sports. Gabbert is young, raw, and oh yeah plays for the Jaguars. Its amazing that everyone knew that he was going to struggle and they were ok, but now they are upset when he actually is. I guess its easy to say one thing and do another.
Pretty sure the guy TEN drafted
with the #8 pick, Jake Locker, is sitting on the bench.
And it wasn’t about learning from David, it was about having time with NFL coaches and working on the fundementals. You really don’t think Favre was mentoring Aaron Rodgers in GB do you ?
Here's the thing
IF Locker was called in to play like Blaine was he should be able to preform somewhere in the middle of the QB pack not at the bottom.
I don’t recall anyone in the organization saying he needed to sit a year. I recall them saying they had the luxury of doing so. Big difference.
You're right
I don’t think they used to term “need”.
But the general consensus seemed to be that he wasn’t as ready as some of the other QB’s coming out, but that he had a higher upside.
I agree he's gonna be a beast
He showed me something in that Cleveland game…dude has fire. He was all up in Mike Thomas face on that last drive, it was good to see. I think he has leader written all over him and though he’s taking a lot of heat now, I only see that (well, really i only hope that) adds fuel to the fire.
I’m not crying about this year. We saw the D step up, our QB is taking his licks early and learning how much losing sucks, he still has to earn his second contract – we didn’t overpay, MJD is about to win the rushing title, WR will no longer be neglected (didn’t somebody say receivers are a dime a dozen? I like the new guy) we have an owner with qeeesh, and we’re learning more and more about how Del Rio was holding this team back.
Damn, I’m more pumped now than I was when the season started. All the haters are gonna be back on the band wagon. Future is bright…least that’s how i see it.
Definitely a rational piece
Blaine needs more help offensively and a full year of coaching, but I’m worried that he’s got serious fundamental flaws. He’s seems scared to get hit, throws off his back foot, and takes off running even when there’s a pocket to step up into. How much is coachable and how much is skill level? If you look at some of his YouTube vids at Missouri he was doing the same exact things. Is this just rookie growing pains or are we seeing what we have? I know we’re supposed to be patient, but I havent seen one single bit of improvement that makes me want to be patient.
by jlana24 on Dec 9, 2011 12:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Remember that he didnt have an offseason with coaches,
That cant fix flaws during the season only work around them. Next offseason they will focus on his issues. Atleast I hope.
Definitely a rational piece
Blaine needs more help offensively and a full year of coaching, but I’m worried that he’s got serious fundamental flaws. He’s seems scared to get hit, throws off his back foot, and takes off running even when there’s a pocket to step up into. How much is coachable and how much is skill level? If you look at some of his YouTube vids at Missouri he was doing the same exact things. Is this just rookie growing pains or are we seeing what we have? I know we’re supposed to be patient, but I havent seen one single bit of improvement that makes me want to be patient.
by jlana24 on Dec 9, 2011 12:24 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Does anyone right now envision BG making that play last night McCoy made on the hit he took from Harrison?
At this point, I don’t think he has it in him to scramble see a beast like JH full steam heading straight towards him and make a pass knowing that he is about to get crushed. Colt earned tough guy status last night for that play.
by Slawsc on Dec 9, 2011 12:42 PM EST via mobile reply actions
No Need, all I got to do is come up with a new excuse for Blaine
And everything will be alright
by Slawsc on Dec 9, 2011 1:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
but at the end of the game, Colt made a play that validated every critic's assumption of him
we all knew he was tough, but toughness don’t complete a pop fly into the end zone on a cold night.
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Maybe, maybe not
Let’s see how he moves forward. At least he didn’t curl up in a ball and slide 5 yards earlier like we witnessed Monday night.
by Slawsc on Dec 9, 2011 2:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
and upside
doesn’t complete a pass thrown 4 feet over the head of your 6’6" TE. Blaine had critics coming out of college. Will he have a play next year that validates what those critics said? McCoy has plenty of toughness and not enough arm and right now Blaine has plenty of arm and not enough toughness to stand in the pocket. Neither is a slam dunk for a long career at QB right now.
Jaguars fan from day 1
Problem is McCoy is out now
Maybe for the season. Half the quarterbacks in the league who started the season are out. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Roethlisberger miss time, either, from watching him last night.
When people observe his actions
they should try to better understand why he’s doing what he does. As Alfie just mentioned in his reply to ruffdaddy, inaccuracy is the cause of something else. Gabbert is very accurate when he’s comfortable, and steps in to his throws.
This lack of courage thing is ridiculous. What we’re witnessing is a guy who doesn’t have all the answers on the field. Your body reacts to your mind. As the game wears along, Gabbert’s indecisiveness is what is causing him to duck and run – he’s trying to not get decked. You can’t blame him, he keeps dropping back and the plays are not unfolding as planned. Defenders are smashing through the line and guys aren’t getting open. While it’s obvious these things happen to all QB’s, Gabbert was dropped into a bad situation. He was definitely a rookie QB that needed an offseason and good coaching, he had neither. He was very raw and thrown into the fire.
People that constantly defend him are doing so because they want him to succeed, myself included. Besides his pocket presence – where all his faults stem from – he has huge potential. No one is saying he’s definitely going to make it. We’re just trying to be patient and wait until next year. If, by the second or third game next year, he looks the same, we’ll all be saying bust. All he needs to do is drop back and get rid of the ball. That definitely won’t happen with the receivers he has. Next year will bring a more experienced bunch and a goto guy. I think he’ll be fine.
Throw the ball, score points.
for the first time since 2003 we have a qb who doesn't invite contact and people kill him for it
There’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Leftwich would get creamed every time he dropped back. David Garrard’s last play of note was the Buffalo preseason game where he lowered his torso took a helmet in the back and ran in for a touchdown. How many times has Blaine taken a “kill shot” this year, 5?
He’ll improve when he has more around him as well as stable coaching. Not excuses.
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Very well said.
Can imagine how it feels to recieve your play through the helmet, call the play in the huddle, get under center , make your checks, call out adjustments, say “HIKE” and watch as everything that you just planned to happen has not. I imagine this is how he feels on every paaing down. These WRs have doen a serious disservice to Blaine. They should pay his car insurance for the next year or something.
Uche is a decent player but as a talent evaluator he blows!!!!!!!
Uche’s Nwaneri first geniuos statement…‘Tim Tebow Can’t Play in the NFL’ Thanks Uche just block please and keep the talent evaluation up to Gene Smith…uhh scratch that we are screwed!!!
hey Genius
EVERYONE said Tebow couldn’t play. Everyone that gets paid for their opinions anyway. Go be a Denver fan, I’m sick of negative, cry baby, only happy when miserable Jag “fans.” Take that tired shit somewhere else. We don’t want or need you
by JohnnyBiceps on Dec 9, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
In Uche's defense
He has seen Gabbert first hand in practice and in the huddle. With regard to Tebow you would have been hard pressed to find many NFL players that thought he would play in the NFL when he got drafted so I don’t hold that against him.
Jaguars fan from day 1
Did you hear Michael Irvirngs opinion of Tebow
on the Huddle? He basically said that no Super Bowl champion HOF caliber WR would ever play with a guy that couldnt get him the ball. Makes sense. Tebow will fizzle out soon enough.
the only certainty with any young QB
is that time will answer all questions. That will apply to Tebow, Gabbert, Ponder, Dalton, Newton, etc.
Jaguars fan from day 1
Let's not forget guys people were annointing as the next generation last season
that have come back down to earth like Freeman and Bradford… and Even Sanchez and Flacco.
wait so you're bashing on gene for bad picks...
yet you picked “cecil shorts” to be your handle?
that’s funny
Blaine will be fine
If this organization fines a great coach who can surrond this team with coaches who can actually coach, he will be fine. Don’t forget he is only 22, entered in a lockout year, didn’t practice with the first team everyday until after the Jets game. Give him time to grow and be coached up. I believe this team is going to add a WR in the draft and 1 in FA. We are also going to focus on our O-Line. So this years FA will be focused around offense. Our receivers are horrible and don’t run routes properly and our O-line is banged up and isn’t consistent. Please everyone be patient and show support for your rookie QB!! It’s bad enough we have ESPN and the national media bashing our team, we don’t need our own fans doing it.
Blaine has a lot going against him this year
To be very frank, this coming offseason is going to be the most important one this franchise has ever gone through, in particualr becuase of the Gabbert situation. It is imperatvie that the new HC is a “slam dunk” selection who brings an energy to this team like none ever seen before. A new offensive scheme muust come and the same amount if imporvement to the defense in 2011 must take place with the offense in 2012. New WRs, and a better O-Line and a dyanamic exciting system is a must.
If after all of this gabbert still underwhelms, then and only then will my patience have run out on this guy. But right now I really think it is totally ridiculous to lose patience with him.
there are some really blunt players on the Jags team.. if someone really thought that Blaine would suck.. we’d hear about it. Not necessarily through the media, but Jax is small.. players are in the community and people talk.
Did we hear
what Fred Taylor or Jimmy Smith thought of JDR?
Jaguars fan from day 1
Blaine Gabbert is a...
crouching tiger, hiding his dragon.
Blaine Gabber is playing
Which is more than a lot of the quarterbacks who started the year can say. Including a few in the AFC South.
OT: but I would like to see the Jags draft Nick Foles from Arizona as his backup.
With the potential – of course – to fight for the starting job.
ROCK, FLAG and EAGLE!!
Foles will be a mid 1st to high 2nd rounder
It’d be a lunacy pick. I like Foles too, but barring a ridiculously one sided trade, I don’t see it. What I would like to see is perhaps a Jason Campbell type to come in as Gabbert’s backup at a significantly reduced price tag, of course.
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He's also at every practice
and in every huddle. He certainly knows more than any of us.
A few thoughts on this.....
First, this is what the players should say if there is any hope Blaine continues to grow. Negative talk from team mates would do nothing to further his progress. Secondly, I would imagine that his work ethic must be pretty good or this comment might not be mad. Finally, I too hope and believe he will get better, and yes, this team support does make me feel better about it.
Something I thought of was
What if somehow the Jags got Newton, Locker, or decided to draft Dalton or Ponder instead and they came here to Jax and was putting up very similar numbers/stats as Gabbert? Then Gabbert goes to a place like Carolina who has Steve Smith and 2 good TE’s and RB’s, or Cinci where Dalton has Green, Gresham, Benson, and a few other decent contributors and he was putting up very similar numbers as they are (with the exception of Newton’s Rushing Yards/TD’s). I wonder how many people would then be crying that we should have drafted Gabbert. I understand the frustration with him, the lack of pocket presence/poise, the “lame duck” effect, not planting his feet correctly or at all, along with other mechanical issues. I know some other rookie QB’s have a “head start” mechanically speaking, and Newton is surprising everybody. But lets face it, i HIGHLY doubt that ANY other of these rookie QB’s let alone a vet could come in here with this sorry, underachieving group of WR’s and TE’s and be more effective or win more games. I’m just as frustrated with Gabbert, his mechanics, or his consistency but I also know hes very young, has not had the proper coaching, and has little to No help. For those who want to say"if only we had Garrard" or “Garrard was able to win with the SAME Receivers” just remember M80 had 800+ yards and was running better routes and that Lewis had 10 TD catches compared to 0, zip, nodda, a BIG Goose egg this year (including Several dropped opportunities)! For those who want to just call him a bust and want to give up on him after 10 games, give him Atleast one more year with the proper coaching and Atleast a Half-Way decent cast of receivers!
by Jags85 on Dec 9, 2011 3:41 PM EST via mobile reply actions
You had a veteran QB here last year that did better with this group of receivers.
I might buy that another rookie might have similar problems but I am not buying that a veteran couldn’t get more from this group because a veteran already has in the past..
Jaguars fan from day 1
And Gabbert would look a lot better
had Marcedes Lewis hung on to a couple of those EASY TD passes.
I realize every QB has receivers drop the ball, but Marcedes gave away at least 2 sure TD passes.
And he was wide open in week 12. We would have had at least gone to overtime. we might have had time to get a fied goal off in the last seconds to win 23 to 20.
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 9, 2011 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
Did you not read where I had stated that?
Like I already previously stated Mike Thomas had over 800 yards receiving LAST year and Lewis had 10 TD catches compared ZERO this year. I’m not saying it would be Impossible for a vet to be better I’m just saying its difficult for any QB to have success with these WR’s and inability to catch passes and make plays
by Jags85 on Dec 9, 2011 3:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed
They can’t get separation.
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 9, 2011 4:21 PM EST up reply actions
So, Thomas and Lewis did that last year, and what is different this year?
The QB. It seems your example contradicts your argument. If those two guys weren’t on the field this year, it might make sense. Their stats weren’t/aren’t created on their own.
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is." Winston Churchill
How many drops did Thomas and Lewis have last year?
How many have they had This year? I’m not saying that Blaine’s not the problem, bc clearly he needs improvement but what I’m saying is hes had Very Little help. Marcedes has dropped several TD passes THIS year that were “Easy”. Now who’s fault is that? Does Blaine catch the ball also? NO. Many of Lewis’s drops were catchable balls. Many people, including analyst have publicly said Lewis is having an off year. Some of it is attributed to Blaine, hes a new rookie QB, and has made some bad throws, but again the WR’s have Not stepped up and thats also been publicly stated the receivers have regressed and are running poor routes. So tell me how running bad routes and dropping catchable passes are Blaine’s fault?
by Jags85 on Dec 9, 2011 8:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
You just joined BCC in Sept 2011.
It has already been established here at BCC that all QBs have drops, so they cannot be considered when arguing the merits of a QB. It is the QBs job to make the players around him better. Clearly, Gabbert has failed at that part of his job.
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is." Winston Churchill
QB can only make a player so much better
And yes, drops are considered when arguing the merits of a QB
by Jags85 on Dec 9, 2011 9:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Read
Playoff hopes in 2012?
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 9, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
Playoff hopes in 2012
Its in the FanPosts.
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 10, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
No, he's not
But your Other Veteran Players NEED to step up to help him out, like Mike Thomas, M. Lewis to name a few. Hard for Any QB to look good or have success when players aren’t getting separation, not running proper or finishing routes, not going up to make a play, or let alone just plain Catching the Ball!
by Jags85 on Dec 9, 2011 5:07 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I distinctly remember many people saying that if Gabbert could not beat out Garrard
in his first training camp, the Jags had made a mistake drafting him in the first round. That is how bad people claimed Garrard was. Technically, we could say that he did beat him out since Garrard was cut, but we all know now that he is not even close – YET. I hope that changes next year, but it won’t be solely because of new WR’s. It will be because Gabbert and the scheme is better.
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is." Winston Churchill
Not sure if anyone else heard it but Prisco pointed out that Eli had a similar rookie year....
Blaine will be fine.
Exactly
Other players supporting him will help encourage him to step up in the pocket.Unche can do this by supporting him and by giving him protection, allowing him to have more time to scan the field and step up in the pocket. Gabbert will be fine. A rocky Rookie season isn’t uncommon. Gabbert has shown some improvement, with drilling the ball into Shorts’ hands in tight couverage.
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 9, 2011 4:20 PM EST up reply actions
Thank You
People call themselves Jags fans, but they’re already critisizing Gabbert. To all the people that think Gabbert is a bust, you guys don’t know much about football!!! There have been worse rookies than Gabbert like, as grues 0809 said, Eli Manning had a similar rookie year. The only difference was Eli had a receiver to throw the ball to, Amani Toomer. Along with that, the other successful rookies in the NFL have good receivers, Dalton/ Green, Newton/ Smith, and Ponder/ Harvin. Give him til the end of next year, when we will have a good receiver, to start criticizing him.
Thank You
i totally agree. knowing Gene, He’ll get a GREAT receiver.
It's All good!
by Hurricane8765 on Dec 10, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
BTW
Was anyone else pissed at Blaine for wearing St. Louis Cardinal jersey and cap in his interview with Gruden prior to the Monday game? Pretty sure it ain’t the Cardinals paying the dude.
by ruffdaddy on Dec 9, 2011 4:53 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Athletes wear jerseys and hats from other teams
How many times has LeBron James worn a Yankees hat or jersey for an interview?
noone else was pissed
He wore the same hat on the NFL network for an interview earlier this year, the day after the Cardinals won the World Series.
"...I'm not trying to act giddy but the guy is a stud.'' - Terry McDonough, Director of Player Personnel, Jacksonville Jaguars
I thought it was because Gabbert is an Alfie Crow fan.
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is." Winston Churchill
Pretty sure that Blaine would rather be a baseball pro
Playing in St. Louis. But that wasn’t how things turned out for him, so I think he will adjust.
by robert ethan on Dec 10, 2011 12:10 AM EST up reply actions
That’s right, except even if he was wearing a Rams hat, he might be supporting a friend who plays for them.
It's All good!
"Real Jag fans?" "True Jag fans?"
Those are words spoken by people who follow a team and have no real opinion on the game… how its played and who’s playing it.
A good many of us didn’t want Gabbert to begin with knowing what caliber QB is to come in this new draft class. Guys like Luck and RG3’s position is Quarterback…. Gabberts’ is the “fetal position”
Everyone who was on Gabbert’s jock as soon as he was drafted is in two schools now… the one’s that regret opening their mouth and those who say let’s stick with him he’s only a rookie. Rookie or not a professional football player no matter what the years of experience stand up!!! Instead we have someone who ducks and throws the ball…
Doug Flutie had a higher ball release then Gabbert…
Second coming of Rodgers? Hardly. Second coming of Kyle Boller… that’s more like it, but at least he could take a hit.
He’s a born back up QB, we need to cut our loses and eat the money to see what’s available in the draft… second round a wide out who isn’t a slot receiver since that seems to be all we draft.
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