It’s not often the Jags have the eyes of the nation on them on Sunday, granted they don’t have the marquee matchup of the week but the story lines have been all over ESPN this week. If it wasn’t for some major QB injuries this week the Jags would be the biggest NFL news of the week, now it’s time to take advantage of all the hype. We know it’s all about Cam Newton vs. Blaine Gabbert, number 1 vs. number 10 but this game is bigger than that. For the Jags it’s a chance to get some excitement about the new era and most importantly sell some tickets. Here are the matchups that matter.

JAGS SECONDARY VS. CAM NEWTON

Everybody is talking Cam Newton vs. Blaine Gabbert but the Jags D backs have the real challenge of going up against the number 1 overall pick. It hasn’t lead to any wins but there is no doubt Cam Newton has some crazy skills. Two straight games with over 400 yards passing against some pretty good defenses should have the Jags really concerned. Add the fact that Newton can really make plays with his legs the Jags need to stop Newton if they want to win.

THE GABBERT EFFECT

Excitement, nerves, pressure all the thing that will be circling Blaine Gabbert before his first professional start. How Gabbert manages all the emotional will go a long way toward the Jags success or failure this week. Gabbert needs to manage the offense, eliminate turnovers, and do what no other Jags QB has done this season, throw a TD pass. The Panthers are one of the worst passing D’s in the league so far, time to take advantage.

THE WIDE RECEIVERS

Yeah you guessed it, the wide receivers have been a sad bunch this season and until they prove that they aren’t a question mark they will keep being on the list. The streak continues of zero TD catches this season and the preseason (at least for the guys that matter) but this week all the excuse can be thrown out the window. With the quick dismissal of McCown after one bad week all the receivers should be alert that every one of their jobs are in jeopardy, I mean they have had 6 bad weeks. How much more can the coaches take?

Now I know it’s really early but the Jags are right there in the hunt for the division or a wild card spot. The Jags aren’t a dominate team that you can expect wins every week so when they play an opponent that they should beat, they better win. The Jags can’t afford to fall to 1-2 especially with the Saints, Ravens, and Steelers coming up on the schedule. Our coverage of the Jags and Panthers gets going at 10am with the Tailgate Show kickoff is at 1.