Jones-Drew, the Jaguars' three-time Pro Bowl running back, left the Jaguars' 26-23 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders Sunday with a first-quarter foot injury, and Gabbert – the team's starting quarterback – left in the second quarter with a non-throwing shoulder injury.
Neither returned to the game, and Jaguars Head Coach Mike Mularkey said he didn't know how soon either could return.
Jones-Drew's injury was to his left foot, and while trainers re-taped the foot several times he was unable to return.
"That's what I was hoping (to return)," Jones-Drew said. "It just didn't feel right. I didn't want to go out there and hurt our team if I wasn't feeling right."
Gabbert said he sustained the injury in the second quarter on a play on which the Raiders were called offsides. He played three more series, but after a series on which the Jaguars ran three times, he left and did not return.
"I appreciate his effort," Mularkey said of Gabbert. "He tried. He's a tough guy, but it would not have been smart (for Gabbert to return the game)."
Asked his status for playing against Green Bay Sunday, Gabbert said, "I'm going to do my best. We'll find out tomorrow and go from there."
PLAY OF THE GAME
For the Jaguars, this came early in the game, as it turned out, and gave the Jaguars enough momentum to get enough of a lead to have a chance most of the game. On the play, wide receiver Cecil Shorts – consistently the player who has turned in the Jaguars' biggest offensive plays this season – got 15 yards behind the Raiders defense. Gabbert found him wide open for a 42-yard touchdown and a 7-3 Jaguars lead with 3:24 remaining in the first quarter. The play gave the Jaguars momentum and they pushed the lead to 17-3 and 20-6, but couldn't overcome a difficult second half offensively.
FIRST QUARTER
The Jaguars turned in one of their best quarters of the season, outgaining Oakland 111-75 and taking a 7-3 lead. Gabbert completed 7 of 8 passes for 99 yards and his 42-yard touchdown pass to Shorts gave the Jaguars a 7-3 lead. Sebastian Janikowski's 21-yard field goal with 6:13 remaining in the quarter gave the Raiders the early lead.
SECOND QUARTER
With Jones-Drew already out, the Jaguars extended their lead to 17-6 at halftime with Rashad Jennings scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run early in the quarter. Kicker Josh Scobee converted a 50-yard field goal to make it 17-3 before Janikowski countered with a 33-yard field goal 34 seconds before halftime to pull the Raiders to within 11.
THIRD QUARTER
The game took on a hang-on feel for the Jaguars in the third quarter. With Jones-Drew and Gabbert out, the offense struggled and a 40-yard field goal by Scobee pushed the Jaguars' lead to 20-6 with 10:42 remaining in the quarter. An 11-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Denarius Moore made it 20-13, Jaguars, with 6:01 remaining.
FOURTH QUARTER
The Jaguars pushed the lead to 23-13 with an early field goal by Scobee, but the Raiders tied the game as the Jaguars continued to struggle offensively. Janikowski's 31-yard field goal made it 23-16, and Palmer tied it with a 1-yard sneak with 3:34 remaining. The Jaguars had a chance to win, but a pass interference penalty on Shorts set the drive back and forced a punt.
MULARKEY SAYS
"We have to find a way to do it. The only guys who are going to do it are in that room."
GABBERT SAYS
"It's very frustrating. The players in this locker room are the only ones who can control it. We have to do more. That's staying longer at the facility, getting more treatment. We have to be able to come out there week in and week out and play at a high level the whole game. You can't just have one good quarter, one good half, three good quarters. You have to put a complete game together."
JONES-DREW SAYS
"Every loss is tough. Going up like we did at the half, we played well. The Raiders just made some plays at the end. They're a good team. Every team is pretty good in this league. You just have to make more plays. That's how you win the game. We didn't do that."
STAT OF THE GAME
The Jaguars converted 1-of-15 third down opportunities. "For us to not be able to convert on those is very disappointing," Mularkey said. "We put ourselves in a lot of 3rd-and-10s. To be able to overcome that is just too much."
OFFENSIVELY . . .
This was a tale of two halves for the Jaguars. They played pretty efficiently for the first quarter and a half, and Gabbert had decent numbers before the injury. In the second half, the offense went dark until a 26-yard swing pass from quarterback Chad Henne to running back Rashad on the Jaguars' second-to-last drive of regulation. For the game, the Jaguars produced 209 total yards, with 54 of those yards coming in the second half.
DEFENSIVELY . . .
All in all, this was a good game for the Jaguars' defense. With the offense struggling, the defense was put in a lot of difficult situations, and most of the game, they came up with big plays. The Jaguars had their best day pass-rushing and forced three turnovers. The Raiders finished with 351 yards on offense.
TURNING POINT
This came late in the game. With Gabbert and Jones-Drew out, the Jaguars spent the second half hanging on to a double-digit lead, and still led by seven - 23-16 – with 3:53 remaining. The Raiders had driven from their 42-yard-line to the Jaguars 25, but the Jaguars' defense had stiffened and Oakland faced 4th-and-10. Palmer threw a high pass into the right corner of the end zone to wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey. Jaguars cornerback Aaron Ross had tight coverage, but did not turn around for the ball and was called for interference. Two plays later, Palmer scored on a 1-yard sneak to tie the game, 23-23.
QUICK TAKE
At 1-5, it's not time for a lot of positives, but the Jaguars' defense deserves some credit for a gutty performance Sunday. The offense went stagnant in the last two and a half quarters, putting the Jaguars' defense in tough position time and again. The defense made big plays, pressuring Palmer throughout the game and registering two sacks. The Jaguars also forced three turnovers and gave the Jaguars a point-blank opportunity in the second half when defensive tackle Terrance Knighton sacked Palmer, forcing a fumble that defensive tackle C.J. Mosley recovered at the Raiders 24. Jacksonville failed to get a first down and settled for a field goal, but that was indicative of the defensive effort much of the game.
INJURY REPORT
Aside from Jones-Drew and Gabbert, the Jaguars sustained two reported injuries of significance. Guard Uche Nwaneri left with an ankle injury, but returned and fullback Montell Owens left the game with a left shoulder injury in the second quarter and did not return.
QUICK HITS
*Scobee's 50-yard field goal with 5:57 remaining in the second quarter not only put the Jaguars ahead, 17-3, it set a franchise record. It was his 176th career field goal, one more than Mike Hollis.
*When Derek Cox intercepted a deflected pass in the second quarter, it was the second interception in as many games for the four-year veteran corner.
*The Jaguars' inactives Sunday were linebacker Brandon Marshall, linebacker Daryl Smith, wide receiver Laurent Robinson, safety Dwight Lowery, guard Herb Taylor, defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton and defensive end Ryan Davis.
*Defensive end George Selvie was active for the first time this season for the Jaguars, with Smith missing a sixth consecutive game. The Jaguars opted to not activate defensive end John Chick from the Physically Unable to Perform list, but can still make that move sometime in the next two weeks.
*Shorts made his first career start for Robinson, with linebacker Kyle Bosworth starting a sixth consecutive game for Smith. Chris Prosinski started in place of Lowery next to Dawan Landry at safety.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jaguars visit Green Bay Sunday.
END GAME
Tough loss, and it won't be difficult to recover. Mularkey said it best when he said the only people who will solve it are in the locker room. The Jaguars are 1-5. They play the Green Bay Packers Sunday. It's a tough spot. How they respond will tell a lot about the team.
