Blaine Gabbert suffered another injury on Sunday against the Texans (this time a right elbow injury) and was knocked out early. No big deal, because Chad Henne stepped right in and threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns, just like everyone expected.
The stunning performance earned Henne another start, as Jacksonville coach Mike Mularkey announced on Monday that Henne would get the nod under center for the Jaguars against the Titans in Week 12.
Mike Mularkey announces today that Chad Henne will start on Sunday against Tennessee. #Jaguars
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@jaguars) November 19, 2012
Additionally, Mularkey said Gabbert is "questionable" to even be active with the elbow injury and praised Henne's ability to execute Jacksonville's game plan. None of this should be that shocking -- was Mularkey really going to trot Gabbert back out on the field after Henne provided all that excitement?
Doing so would've only angered an already frustrated fan base. Frankly, it's impossible to fathom what happened against the Texans. The Jaguars rank last in the NFL in offense, even after their 37-point outburst. (Even more oddly, they're last in rushing offense, too. So there's that.)
Significant changes are on the horizon pending a strong effort down the stretch, and it looks pretty clear that Mularkey's just going with whomever he thinks can win him the most games. To wit: He ha sbenched Rashad Jennings and is rolling with Jalen Parmele as his running back for the Titans game as well. (Maurice Jones-Drew is still "very questionable"
There's no telling if this is the end of the Gabbert era in Jacksonville, or if Henne's really just the healthier option. But on Sunday, the Jaguars scored 37 points, their second time going over 20 points in four quarters this season. Justin Blackmon had a monster game, catching seven passes for 236 yards and a touchdown, almost doubling his season total.
If Jacksonville can pile up points again on Sunday, it's a safe bet that Henne could take over the starting gig for the remainder of the year. At this point, no one's job should feel safe in Jacksonville, least of all the starting quarterback on a 1-9 team.
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