Arians: Cardinals’ Blaine Gabbert will continue to start at QB
Nov 20, 2017, 1:23 PM | Updated: 4:53 pm
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) hands off to running back Adrian Peterson (23) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
TEMPE, Ariz. — Blaine Gabbert’s Arizona audition will continue. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Monday at his press conference that Gabbert would continue to start while Drew Stanton’s sprained knee continues to heal.
“Drew’s going to be healthier,” Arians said. “He’s still not as healthy as he was before. We’ll stick with Blaine and watch Drew get healthy and then make a decision as we go forward.”
This Sunday, Gabbert will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allow an NFL-low 162 passing yards and 275.6 total yards per game while leading the league with 23 takeaways.
Gabbert made his first start with the Cardinals in Sunday’s 31-21 loss to the Texans at in NRG stadium in Houston. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 257 yards and a career-high three touchdowns with two interceptions for a passer rating of 92.4.
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His first two touchdowns came off short fields, but he led the Cardinals on a six-play, 51-yard touchdown drive late in the third quarter after Houston had taken the lead, capping that drive with a 28-yard TD pass to tight end Ricky Seals-Jones.
“He saw the field extremely well,” Arians said. “The ball was where it was supposed to be. Every throw wasn’t perfect, there was some pressure, but he stood in the face of it and delivered. He played really, really well.”
Gabbert threw two interceptions in the final five minutes of the game with the Cardinals trailing by 10 points and trying to rally. Arians attributed those interceptions that Gabbert threw behind his receivers to the lack of reps played with those receivers — reps that might have helped the timing.
It is unclear what the Cardinals will do when and if Stanton is healthy enough to play again.
Neither Stanton nor Gabbert is under contract next season with the Cardinals. While Gabbert’s continued play could help the Cardinals evaluate whether he could be an option in the future, Arians said Monday that he already has a sense of what Gabbert can do.
“I think I’ve known that all long,” Arians said. “I don’t think I have to find out anything else. What I saw is exactly what I thought I’d see and I just think it will get better the more he throws to Larry [Fitzgerald] and those starting guys. As he gets a little more timing with them, I think he’ll just get better.”
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