Critics: Gabbert Bounces Back

After falling behind by two touchdowns in the 2nd quarter Sunday, fans of Blaine Gabbert may have been worried about a lackluster offensive ruining the fate of .

Thanks in part to a fumble that occurred while Jacksonville was losing 14-0, the Jaguars turned it around to finish with an emphatic 41-14 win.

The result was in important one for Gabbert, whose young career is under a microscope as the quarterback from Mizzou draws comparisons to fellow QBs such as Cam Newton; Newton and the Carolina Panthers lost 31-23 to Atlanta on Sunday, with Newton conceding two interceptions in a game that left Carolina tied with Tampa Bay in conference with 9 wins and 4 losses for the season.

Gabbert, too, threw two turnovers on Sunday, but with a drastically different result that's helped silence critics skeptical of Gabbert's performance.

BleacherReport.com cited the Jaguars as one of three teams that rose beyond expectations Sunday, singling out teammate Maurice Jones-Drew as the game's standout with 136 yards and four completed touchdowns.

Gabbert's performance still marked an improvement on its own, completing 19 of 33 passes for 217 yards, The Florida Times-Union reports.

“The thing that was most impressive to me was that Blaine had poise in the pocket and was able to go through his proper footwork,” interim head coach Mel Tucker said in The Florida Times-Union report. “His eyes were right, and the pocket actually seemed like it started to collapse a little bit, but he stood tall and delivered the ball and it was on the money.”

Elsewhere in the Jacksonville camp, observers were equally optimistic.

Alfie Crow of BigCatCountry.com, a Jacksonville Jaguars fan site, said Gabbert's two interceptions shouldn't be overlooked, but can safely be written off as "rookie" errors.

"Those types of mistakes are correctable," Crow wrote. "(Gabbert) also showed more of a willingness to take a hit and step into his throws. He was clobbered a few times immediately as he let go of the football and was noticeably less skittish in the pocket."