For parts of three seasons, Jacksonville Jaguars fans whined about Blaine Gabbert, questioned why he was on the field and begged for anyone else at quarterback. Finally, the team traded the struggling signal-caller to clear room for another first-round pick with a funny name, Blake Bortles. Running Gabbert out of town was hailed as a turning point for a moribund franchise.
So with all that in mind, it was pretty hilarious to watch Gabbert, starting only due to injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, lead the Arizona Cardinals to a 27-24 victory over the surging Jaguars on Sunday.
OK, so Gabbert didn’t exactly look like Tom Brady out there. He completed only 22 of 38 passes for 241 yards and threw a costly fourth-quarter interception. But he also threw for two touchdowns and led a game-winning drive with less than a minute remaining, while outplaying Bortles. By Gabbert standards, that was a superstar-caliber outing.
It turns out the man who threw more interceptions (24) than touchdowns (22) while playing for the Jags is now capable of this.
Blaine 🚆 pic.twitter.com/MhlxlJlRJQ
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 27, 2017
Jaguars fans, naturally, greeted Gabbert’s surprising performance with measured and proportionate reaction.
Blaine Gabbert single-handedly forcing #Jaguars fans to mass near an emotional cliff edge right now pic.twitter.com/8iMOhoPC0M
— Matt Petersen (@TheMattPetersen) November 26, 2017
For a moment there, it seemed the Jaguars might get the last laugh. With 3:46 to play in a tie game, Gabbert fired a pass into double coverage, where safety Barry Church picked it off. Gabbert had blown it, and all seemed right in the universe.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, who entered the game 7-3 and in first place in the AFC South, Bortles is not exactly a precision passer, either. With 2:45 to play and Jacksonville in opposing territory, Bortles rolled right and fired a pass right into the arms of Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu.
When you're in the desert, watch out for Badgers. pic.twitter.com/7VZWLNETKA
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 27, 2017
That interception set up Gabbert’s… dare we say it… heroics. He completed two passes for 22 yards, then kicker Phil Dawson knocked home a 57-yard field goal for the win.
Even with the loss, the Jaguars are 7-4 and tied with the Titans for first place in their division. They have a real shot at making the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They also have a real shot at missing out by a game and having Blaine Gabbert to blame.