Not surprisingly, both Blake Bortles and Jedd Fisch were asked about the Ben Roethlisberger comparisons. Solomon Wilcots probably will compare them at some point. It is one of the things I am looking forward to seeing Sunday: How accurate are these comparisons people keep talking about?
Bortles: "He has won two Super Bowls and I haven't won a game yet."
Fisch: "What I know about Ben Roethlisberger is he has won two Super Bowls."
In other words, they think it is way too early to draw comparisons because the most important thing is winning.
Bortles did provide one new comparison, however: they have the same agent.
Fisch sounded like he does want want any comparisons now or later, saying, "I just want Blake Bortles to be Blake Bortles."
So is it really fair to call Bortles a younger Roethlisberger before we win two Super Bowls? Are we overestimating how similar they are?
Do you have a blake bortles poster hanging on the ceiling over your bed?
Google images of blake on a separate tab...
Newspaper clippings of ucf and other bortles news taped all over the wall...
Paper mâché bortles replica cuddled up with at night.
Lindsey duke photo with horns drawn on it in red sharpie.
Lindsey duke voodoo doll.
Ben Roethlisberger's rookie statistics:
Games Played: 14
Games Started: 13
Passing Statistics
Completions: 196
Attempts: 295
Completion Percentage: 66.4
Yards: 2,621
Average: 8.9
Touchdowns: 17
Interceptions: 11
Sacks: 30
Yards: 213
Rating: 98.1
Rushing Statistics
Attempts: 56
Yards: 144
Average: 2.6
Touchdowns: 1
Fumbles: 2
Lost Fumbles: 2
Let's see how Blake Bortles matches up to these numbers at the end of the year.
I just hope he is blake bortles. and in ten years other poor saps have to be compared to him until they also get sick of it.
Quote:Do you have a blake bortles poster hanging on the ceiling over your bed?
Google images of blake on a separate tab...
Newspaper clippings of ucf and other bortles news taped all over the wall...
Paper mâché bortles replica cuddled up with at night.
Lindsey duke photo with horns drawn on it in red sharpie.
Lindsey duke voodoo doll.
You mean you don't? Pfft, what kind of fan are you? :teehee:
Quote:Do you have a blake bortles poster hanging on the ceiling over your bed?
Google images of blake on a separate tab...
Newspaper clippings of ucf and other bortles news taped all over the wall...
Paper mâché bortles replica cuddled up with at night.
Lindsey duke photo with horns drawn on it in red sharpie.
Lindsey duke voodoo doll.
I'll tell you what Lindsey duke can do........
Bortles is a more gifted passers-by than Big Ben. If he can get the mental aspects of the game figured out with the x's and o's and put that together with his arm and athleticism, look out. He has so many positives and a few of them are simply things either you have or you don't. They aren't coached. They aren't taught. The great ones usually have them. His ability to extend plays and throw accurately on the run is a thing of beauty. Him climbing the pocket darn near brings me to tears. We haven't seen quarterbacks do that, at that high of a level, in over a decade.
He gives you those wow! moments. He's going to make mistakes as a rookie and beyond. He may always throw a higher number of INTs, he's a risk taker and they will happen. I'm confident however that in time he will give us enough positives and wow! moments that they will far outweigh the mistakes.
I can't wait to watch this kid develop.
It's gonna be a great trip...
Quote:Bortles is a more gifted passers-by than Big Ben. If he can get the mental aspects of the game figured out with the x's and o's and put that together with his arm and athleticism, look out. He has so many positives and a few of them are simply things either you have or you don't. They aren't coached. They aren't taught. The great ones usually have them. His ability to extend plays and throw accurately on the run is a thing of beauty. Him climbing the pocket darn near brings me to tears. We haven't seen quarterbacks do that, at that high of a level, in over a decade.
He gives you those wow! moments. He's going to make mistakes as a rookie and beyond. He may always throw a higher number of INTs, he's a risk taker and they will happen. I'm confident however that in time he will give us enough positives and wow! moments that they will far outweigh the mistakes.
I can't wait to watch this kid develop.
Watching him develop is going to be a lot of fun. I have very high hopes for Bortles. But I don't want to crown him the next Brett Favre. In the end he is still a rookie QB so we will continue to see rookie mistakes. You don't need to wait to see him develop because he has already improved a lot since winning the Fiesta Bowl.
This article mentions some similarities:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/116235...t-position
Quote:<p style="font-size:12px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bortles and Roethlisberger threw together in California during the offseason, when Bortles was preparing for the draft, and they have stayed in touch. The two share an agent, similar builds, similar paths to the NFL and similar playing styles.
<p style="font-size:12px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roethlisberger and Bortles were each high draft picks despite playing for schools outside of the major conferences. Both are tall, sturdy quarterbacks who can move around in the pocket, and Roethlisberger said he sees a younger version of himself in Bortles.
Quote:Watching him develop is going to be a lot of fun. I have very high hopes for Bortles. But I don't want to crown him the next Brett Favre. In the end he is still a rookie QB so we will continue to see rookie mistakes. You don't need to wait to see him develop because he has already improved a lot since winning the Fiesta Bowl.
I know he's developed but he has a long ways to go. I don't think we've seen anything close to his ceiling.
Brett Favre made mistakes all throughout his career. He throw a lot of TDs and a lot of INTs. I like the Favre comparison and I see it. I hope Bortles has that gunslinger mentality because he has the arm and the ability to pull it off. I'm sick of the game manager crap we've been stuck with for years.
In my opinion young Blake Bortles > young Big Ben. We will see.
I hope several years down the road Bortles is a guy that people use as a comparison for young up and coming QBs.
Quote:Do you have a blake bortles poster hanging on the ceiling over your bed?
Google images of blake on a separate tab...
Newspaper clippings of ucf and other bortles news taped all over the wall...
Paper mâché bortles replica cuddled up with at night.
Lindsey duke photo with horns drawn on it in red sharpie.
Lindsey duke voodoo doll.
Get out of my house
Quote:Ben Roethlisberger's rookie statistics:
Games Played: 14
Games Started: 13
Passing Statistics
Completions: 196
Attempts: 295
Completion Percentage: 66.4
Yards: 2,621
Average: 8.9
Touchdowns: 17
Interceptions: 11
Sacks: 30
Yards: 213
Rating: 98.1
Rushing Statistics
Attempts: 56
Yards: 144
Average: 2.6
Touchdowns: 1
Fumbles: 2
Lost Fumbles: 2
Let's see how Blake Bortles matches up to these numbers at the end of the year.
That Steelers team was stacked though. Blake is playing on a team with the worst or 2nd worst roster in the league. No defense.
Quote:That Steelers team was stacked though. Blake is playing on a team with the worst or 2nd worst roster in the league. No defense.
That does not mean Blake can't throw 15-20 touchdown passes and have a completion percentage around 66 with fewer interceptions than touchdowns.
Like Bortles, Roethlisberger started playing in the middle of a game before being named the starter. Talent around you has nothing to do with that.
Quote:That does not mean Blake can't throw 15-20 touchdown passes and have a completion percentage around 66 with fewer interceptions than touchdowns.
Like Bortles, Roethlisberger started playing in the middle of a game before being named the starter. Talent around you has nothing to do with that.
Hahaha actually the talent around you has EVERYTHING to do with how Blake plays this year. Just ask Tom Brady this year.
If Blake had that Steelers roster, I would hope he would put up the same numbers. But the fact that he is playing with sub par talent means we shouldn't expect him to put up those types of numbers. 17tds and 11 interceptions? All while starting 13-0? Yea thats not gonna happen.
Quote:Hahaha actually the talent around you has EVERYTHING to do with how Blake plays this year. Just ask Tom Brady this year.
If Blake had that Steelers roster, I would hope he would put up the same numbers. But the fact that he is playing with sub par talent means we shouldn't expect him to put up those types of numbers. 17tds and 11 interceptions? All while starting 13-0? Yea thats not gonna happen.
The Patriots still have the same guys on offense they did last year, right? I think it is just a case of the whole team getting old and over the hill up there.
Quote:The Patriots still have the same guys on offense they did last year, right? I think it is just a case of the whole team getting old and over the hill up there.
Ok but you still said to compare Bortles end of year stats to Bens.... Thats not fair. Totally different circumstances.
Quote:OK but you still said to compare Bortles' end of year stats to Ben's.... Thats not fair. Totally different circumstances.
Is any comparison fair? Should the media stop trying to compare them?
Quote:Is any comparison fair? Should the media stop trying to compare them?
Yes. Actually they should.
Just because they play similar, doesnt mean they will have the same stats. That Pittsburgh defense was so good that all Ben had to do was manage the games. Which is why he only threw 17 TD passes. Blake is being asked to WIN every game basically by himself since we have no defense, no running game and young WRs.
JW, could you make a Bortles thread everyday? it would be great to see his development happen before our eyes each and every day on this message board.