It's time for the Blaine Gabbert experiment to end.
The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback sputtered through another ugly performance Sunday before a hamstring injury ended his day in a 34-20 loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Chad Henne took over -- as he's done before -- and he shouldn't be pulled again. Henne's no gunslinger, but he gives his targets a chance to make plays. If the Jaguars intend to win games -- even one -- it's time to keep Gabbert on the pine.
Gabbert's play under center has devolved during his third NFL campaign, and he can't stay healthy. He cost Jacksonville points today with two interceptions -- one of them a pick six -- and a ghastly pair of fumbles.
The Jaguars hoped to evaluate their young passer this season, but nothing more needs to be seen. It's time to find an NFL quarterback.
Here's what else we learned:
- Jaguars rookie left tackle Luke Joeckel is out for the season after suffering a broken right ankle. It's a disastrous loss for Jacksonville, which is down to just Austin Pasztor and Cameron Bradfield at tackle after trading away Eugene Monroe last week.
- Our initial look at Zac Stacy was encouraging. The Rams rookie running back earned his first start and saw heavy action early. His 14 rushes for 78 yards were tempered by splitting carries with Daryl Richardson down the stretch, but Stacy's in for a bigger role after showing he can pass protect, too.
- One bright spot for Jacksonville was Justin Blackmon. In his first game back from suspension, he was the best player on offense for the Jaguars. Blackmon finished strong last season and picked up where he left off with a 67-yard catch and score on his first target of the game. Sidenote: This Rams secondary is a mess.
- St. Louis has a flock of young players but few difference-makers. Tavon Austin finally caught a pass in space and turned it into a 17-yarder. It's a play design the Rams should run 10 times a game, but most of Austin's targets still came just yards off the line of scrimmage. Right now, the most intriguing pass-catcher on this team might be Austin Pettis.
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