Reasons I Want (NEED) Blaine Gabbert to Succeed

All we have heard leading up to training camp (practice in underwear) is Competition. Competition. I need a Quarterback. I need someone to hang my hat on. I need Blaine Gabbert to succeed this Competition. I'm not really a Henne fan. I mean if he was that great he would still be in Miami. He's not. Don't get me wrong, he's a servicable Quarterback. But I need a starter. I need to see Peyton Manning type behavior. Not Peyton Manning. I'm not delusional. I don't expect my team to go to the Super Bowl. Yet.

Perspective from the 2 training camps I went to:

1. Gabbert down the middle to Cecil Shorts III. Anybody down the middle. I've seen far too many sideline passes the last few years. I need some "down the middle".

2. Hurry up offense!!  Imagine that. I've only been silently BEGGING for HUO for 2 years!

3. Gabbert performing a serviceable pump fake! He even had me fooled.

4. Gabbert clapping his hands and saying "Good job ______". Signs of being a leader. The kind of leader we've wanted him to be all this time.

5. This one like the last one is not really a playmaking point. It does show some leadership improvement and cohesiveness with his team (he has his team members' backs). One of the players at the practice field decided not to stay a long time and sign autographs. A fan started heckling the player. Blaine Gabbert standing nearby says "give the guy a break we all want to get to the showers". Wow. Sticking up for a fellow teammate. Someone has been taking leadership classes. 

There were other things that weren't as good: 

1. Gabbert holding on too long. This one might actually need to be on the good list. Hopefully "chuck and duck" is a thing of the past.

2. Ball making an interception on Gabbert. It's going to happen. 

3. There were several questionable snaps which make me want to fault the backup Center, Brewster. Those snaps looked like fumbles but in all fairness I mention them.

But really. Why must Blaine Gabbert succeed? 

1. The Jaguars spent a top 10 first round draft pick for him. I can't bear to see another draft pick, much less a first round draft pick fall to the wayside. I can't. 

2. How many offenses has this kid had to learn? He has had four different head coaches. JDR, Mel Tucker, Mike Mularkey, Gus Bradley. You have to figure Tucker didn't change the offense that much since he became the HC at the end of the 2011 season. So let's say 3 offenses. That can't be easy. Compound that with being a young QB. We'll be lucky if he isn't totally ruined. I mean that nicely. If he doesn't make it, that will be on JDR and Gene Smith. JDR for firing Garrard and starting Gabbert too soon. He had no offseason to learn with the lockout that year. 

3. The Jaguars need a successful QB now. There is no time for reinventing the wheel with a rookie QB next year. 

4. He's easy on the eyes. Come on. What did you expect from a chick? Much less a football chick. 

 

MDK in the House

We Must Protect This House

Drinking the Kool-Aid Special Edition 3-21-12 and Other Tebow Related Topics

So by now all of Jacksonville is in a frenzy over this Tebow thing. Is he coming, is he not coming. If he does come I'm cancelling my tickets. If he doesn't come I'm not buying tickets. OH COME ON. Everyone get over yourselves and listen up.
I am a self described Tebow Hater. Not Tebow the man. Tebow the football player. If a player hasn't played on one of my 2 teams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Florida State Seminoles, then technically he's not "on my team". It's not complicated. It's not personal. Strictly football. There have only been 2 "exceptions" to this rule: Byron Leftwich and Matt Turk. Tebow has never been on either one of my teams. However, if he does come to the Jaguars I will have no choice but to cheer for him and every other player on the team.
This is not a very popular belief I carry. I really don't care. I'm mildly excited about the new energy in the city and fan base. I also believe this is a critical time in the football situation in Jacksonville. The Florida Gators haven't done much of late. Neither have the Seminoles. If the Jaguars were to become successful, that might turn the tide here. It might make the Jacksonville Jaguars relevant to a whole different segment of the population. Is this a stretch or a reach? Yeah. But what isn't?
One last tidbit. Mike Mularkey was one of the coaches during the Kordell Stewart era at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stewart was known for versatility being a quarterback, wide receiver and punt returner. So, I'm hopeful he might know how to get a little more consistency from Tebow.
If by chance he goes to the Jets, life goes on. I will not burn my season tickets in the driveway with a TV camers filming. No drama. The Jaguars are my team,  right, wrong or otherwise. So, whatever happens, HAPPENS.
Yes, as you now have guessed I am sipping the Tebow flavored Kool-Aid. It's hard not to. I really want my team to be successful and I want and crave a new energy from the fans. If sipping the Kool-Aid is wrong, I don't want to be right.

MDK in the House