After halftime, the Jacksonville Jaguars led the Carolina Panthers by a score of 10-5. This is how the Jaguars began their opening drive after halftime:
1st and 10 at JAC 20 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to JAX 32 for 12 yards (J.Pugh). | ||
1st and 10 at JAC 32 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to JAX 34 for 2 yards (J.Williams, C.Munnerlyn). | ||
2nd and 8 at JAC 34 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to JAX 38 for 4 yards (J.Anderson). | ||
3rd and 4 at JAC 38 | (Shotgun) D.Karim up the middle to JAX 45 for 7 yards (E.Norwood). | ||
1st and 10 at JAC 45 | D.Karim right guard to JAX 49 for 4 yards (J.Williams). | ||
2nd and 6 at JAC 49 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to CAR 46 for 5 yards (D.Connor, J.Anderson). | ||
3rd and 1 at CAR 46 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to CAR 42 for 4 yards (J.Williams). | ||
1st and 10 at CAR 42 | M.Jones-Drew up the middle to CAR 40 for 2 yards (J.Williams, A.Neblett). | ||
2nd and 8 at CAR 40 | B.Gabbert FUMBLES (Aborted) at CAR 40, recovered by JAX-U.Nwaneri at CAR 40. U.Nwaneri to CAR 40 for no gain (D.Connor). | ||
3rd and 8 at CAR 40 | (Shotgun) D.Karim left guard to CAR 46 for -6 yards (T.McClain; E.Norwood). | ||
4th and 14 at CAR 46 | M.Turk punts 27 yards to CAR 19, Center-J.Cain, downed by JAX. | ||
DRIVE TOTALS: JAC 10, CAR 5, 10 plays, 34 yards, 6:11 elapsed |
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The play where rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert fumbled the snap was also a running play, as Uche Nwaneri was able to recover the fumble since he was pulling from his guard position.
"Obviously you're adjusting some of the things that you do based on that kind of weather. That's just what you do. I thought we adjusted well. It did get adjusted as it should," Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio said after the game.
I call bull.
If the weather really had that much of an influence on the Jaguars offensive game plan, why was Blaine Gabbert throwing the football during the actual torrential down pour? By the time the 3rd quarter started, the rain had all but subsided. It was actually sunny outside. Gabbert threw the football 5 times in the final four minutes of the first half during the downpour. Gabbert threw the football just three times, two of which were screens, until there was 4 minutes left in the game.
You cannot play offense like that in the modern NFL and expect to win ball games. The way the Jaguars play offense is completely nonsensical. Gabbart threw the football a total of 21 times, 7 of those 21 attempts came in the final four minutes of the game. As I wrote yesterday in my game recap, the team sets themselves up in panic situations and puts unneeded pressure on a rookie quarterback.
I'm not asking for Blaine Gabbert to throw the ball 40 times in a game. I'm not even asking for him to throw the ball 30 times in a game. I'm asking for the offense to be less "1953". The Jaguars defense looks like it's for real. This team can afford to pass the football and make some mistakes, but the team plays like they're afraid to turn the football over. In order to win football games, this team is going to have to start passing the football more effectively, and you don't do that by constantly setting up your quarterback for failure.
After three weeks, the Jaguars a dead last in the NFL in passing yards per game. They're dead last in pass attempts per game. They're second to last in total points and points per game. They're first in rush attempts per game. The Jaguars offense has 2 total touchdowns and have given up 2 safeties. They have just a single trip in the redzone all season long.
Blaine Gabbert isn't going to learn or grow sticking the ball in Maurice Jones-Drew's gut over and over and passing only when he has to. He's going to make mistakes and he'll have to learn from those mistakes. He's not going to learn when you run the ball twice, then ask him to make a play on 3rd and long.
It's an offense that plays scared to make mistakes and that's how you make mistakes. It's an offense and a team that has no killer instinct whatsoever. When you're up 10-5 and getting the ball back after halftime leading a game you have no business leading, you put your foot on the throat and push down. You go for the jugular and put the opposing team on the ropes. You don't offer them an umbrella and dry set of clothes.