Luke McCown threw two passes for the Jaguars on Sunday, and they both fell incomplete. His quarterback rating was still higher than Blaine Gabbert’s by the end of the day.
Gabbert’s numbers and overall play have been regressing, and Gabbert didn’t start off too well in the first place.
The brief feeling that the Jaguars could re-enter the AFC South race has passed. They are 2-6, and anything more than six wins this year would be a huge surprise.
“Before our eyes, the Jaguars’ offense is shriveling like a dried prune,” Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union writes.
The best thing you can say about Gabbert is that he doesn’t throw interceptions. (He has fumbled six times.) The worst thing you can say: Just recite his numbers.
Gabbert ranks dead last among NFL quarterbacks in completion percentage (45.7) and yards-per-attempt (5.24) by wide margins. The schedule hasn’t been easy, but his average-per-attempt the last three weeks looks like he’s a mediocre running back: 4.19, 4.65, and 3.23.
The team hasn’t topped 100 yards passing for three weeks.
“I couldn’t imagine offensively that we’d be this anemic,” said Jaguars guard Uche Nwaneri said.
Some growing pains are inevitable, but coach Jack Del Rio couldn’t have imagined this either. Or he would have stuck with McCown as the starter a little longer.