Another week, another impressive relief outing for a hog molly. And this time, it was newbie Gabe Jackson doing the work.
Sunday’s 9-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons marked the Carolina Panthers debut of Gabe Jackson. And the 10th-year veteran, who came on for starting right guard Nash Jensen in the second half, impressed interim head coach Chris Tabor.
“He came in there, we ripped off a couple good runs there, right away when he came in,” Tabor said on Monday afternoon. “He’s a strong player, been around the block, has a lot of experience. And it was just something that we felt like we just needed to do at that time. Thought that he did some really nice things.
“And as I always say, it’s any player, he’s gonna want some plays back. And we’ll work hard this week to get those things rectified and build off the things that he did well. But really pleased with his performance . . . for a guy that just got here.”
Jackson was signed to the team’s practice squad back on No. 29. The 32-year-old called up for the second time in Week 15, and made the most out of his first opportunity on the field.
Pro Football Focus graded Jackson out at an overall mark of 72.2—the third-highest on the Carolina offense. He was also given a team-best 78.7 in run blocking, which helped contribute to a 129-yard output on the ground.
As of now, however, Tabor told reporters that it’s too early to decide on if Jackson will take the starting duties from Jensen moving forward.
