Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Forums

I am letting his turnovers slide a little bit this year. He's still a young QB. He's still throwing the football around to guys that are also young and in their 2nd years with him in a new system. Mistakes are going to happen. I think when you take a step back and really. And I do mean REALLY take a look at the offense. It's extremely young. The pass protection isn't all that consistent. The run game still isn't where it needs to be. You still see some guys dropping passes here and there or some miscommunication between the QB and receivers here and there. BUT THAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED. That's completely understandable. I'll take his 2:1 TD/INT ratio right now.

 

What's killing this team is the inability to consistently run the football and take pressure OFF of Bortles and the passing game. And also our inability to consistently RUSH THE OPPOSING QB. That's been our two biggest issues this year. Bortles wouldn't throw 14 INT's with 22 TD's if the running game could muster a more professional average on the ground. He's having to do too much and having to get too creative to bail this offense out. He's the LEAST of my concerns this year on this team. And it's honestly pathetic that some of you in this fanbase and forum are going after this kid when he's been the most productive QB we've had in over ten years. Would you trade him out for Leftwich? Gabbert? Henne? Or even Garrard? No thanks. Give this kid a running game like Garrard had with Freddy T and MJD. Give this kid a top ten defense in every category that ACTUALLY creates some of their OWN turnovers. And then let's see where this kid stands alright?

The defense doesn't help Bortles at all

The interceptions are frustrating to be sure; however, not all of those interceptions are the result of poor performance from Bortles. Please don't misunderstand me, he makes mistakes which costs us, but not every interception is completely his fault. Defenders do make great plays at times that result in turn overs. So I'm not quite ready to crucify Bortles just yet; he is, after all, playing behind the likes of Joeckel and Beadles. We have an anemic running game do to poor run blocking, which tends to make us 'one dimensional' in our play calling. If an opponents defense knows your leaning heavily on the passing game they can 'tee-off' of that and gain an advantage. This means more interceptions for Bortles.

 

Therefore, I'm not going to close the book on Bortles just yet. He's still essentially a very inexperienced pro quarterback who's playing without the benefit of a very good line in front of him. He does have some good weapons in the Allens, Yeldon, D. Rob, Thomas, and when he's on the field, Lee. Lets see what can be done via the draft and fa acquisition this coming year to shore things up a bit. I'm not a teal tea drinking homer, but I do think there's enough potential already in place that with some help in the right positions we would be a team to reckon with. 

Quote:It is putting a lot of pressure on him. That is why I haven't given up on Bortles. At the same time, I can't overlook the turnovers. It's hurts this team and makes life harder for an already weak defense

The turnovers are aggravating.

 

But I think some of them are the result of putting too much on a still young QBs shoulders.

 

Let's put this in additional perspective.

 

Most of us have a pretty high opinion of Mark Brunell's tenure as a Jacksonville Jaguars, correct?

 

Brunell's second year here-his 3rd in the league overall-he had 19 TDs and 20 INTs on a team featuring Boselli and Searcy at T, Smith McCardell, Rison, and Willie Jackson at receiver, and James Stewart and Natrone Means at RB with TC at coach, after learning under Mike Holmgren before he came here.

 

So even with talent surrounding him, even a good QB can have high interceptions.

 

It isn't a stretch to assume that Bortles doesn't have THAT level of surrounding talent, even if you called WR a wash between the 1996 team and today's team.

 

I think if we give Bortles a little better protection, a running game, and a little more time to mature, he'll be a very good QB.

Told my buddy... "Watch him throw a pick inside the 30", right before it happened. It just felt right. He is an INT machine.

A lot of people here sound like the guy that sits below me and wants us to put in Chad Freaking Henne instead of Bortles as if he's a better option.  Everyone here likes to overreact and act like Bortles isn't the guy that is the reason this offense is good in the first place and then complain over one interception.  Get over it....it was a bad pass and he made a few other errors in the game.

Quote:Told my buddy... "Watch him throw a pick inside the 30", right before it happened. It just felt right. He is an INT machine.

Seems to happen a lot on 1st and 20 after we've been called for holding.

Quote:Told my buddy... "Watch him throw a pick inside the 30", right before it happened. It just felt right. He is an INT machine.

Did you guys high five afterward?

I blaim this one partially on the coaches. After the holding penalty they should have raised the white flag, called a couple of draw plays, and got to halftime.



They claim to be a big analytics team. They should have known that in a turnover prone situation (1st and 20 backed up with no time) with a turnover prone offense, you shouldn't be aggressive there.

Are there really people that want to bench Bortles for another option, or heaven forbid, put in Henne full time?


I've seen alot of you guys mention that many would "rather see henne, gabbert, of go another direction in the offseason." But, I haven't seen/heard anyone claim anything like that. If there is anyone out there that actually wants that, they're just trolling. They have to be.


I like Bortles. I think he's good enough to lead this team for a long time.

-Do I think he's perfect? No.

-Do I hope he improves on some of these mistakes in the redzone and deep in his own territory? Yes (although I obviously understand the offense limitations and his young age).

-Is Bortles a "sacred cow" that isn't allowed any criticism when he makes bad plays? No, absolutely not.

-Do I want Henne, Gabbert, or a new QB? Lol, No. That's just crazy.


Why are you guys suggesting that many would like Henne or Gabbert? I seriously haven't seen anyone say that at all.

We are struggling to run the ball. Linder would have probably made a big difference in this area, but right now, it's anemic. Any QB would struggle with an occasional pick when forced to throw on almost every down. 

Quote:We are struggling to run the ball. Linder would have probably made a big difference in this area, but right now, it's anemic. Any QB would struggle with an occasional pick when forced to throw on almost every down. 

Precisely.

 

Not all of his picks are a result of the lack of running game.

 

But I think some are attributable to him trying to do too much/HAVING to do too much.

Quote:Precisely.

 

Not all of his picks are a result of the lack of running game.

 

But I think some are attributable to him trying to do too much/HAVING to do too much.

It's so backwards as a Jag fan. We've always had strong running games and relied on them heavily. All we needed was a game manager to win. If Blake had the running game of an MJD or Fred, whewww he may be deadly. 

Quote:It is putting a lot of pressure on him. That is why I haven't given up on Bortles. At the same time, I can't overlook the turnovers. It's hurts this team and makes life harder for an already weak defense

 

Why is a second year player supposed to make life easier for a bunch of vets just because they suck? Logic dictates that it should be the other way around and the experienced vets shouldn't be making life harder on a relatively inexperienced 2nd year QB.

 

The craptastic play of this defense hurts this team. Why is Blake the scapegoat and not the d-line? Why isn't there a 12 page thread about Branch and Clemons? 

Quote:I've been one of his biggest advocates this season. 

 

I've seen the positives, but frankly I feel it is to the point that the turnovers are outweighing that. He literally threw the ball right to Te'o. It's killing this team. 

Stop

Quote:Why is a second year player supposed to make life easier for a bunch of vets just because they suck? Logic dictates that it should be the other way around and the experienced vets shouldn't be making life harder on a relatively inexperienced 2nd year QB.

 

The craptastic play of this defense hurts this team. Why is Blake the scapegoat and not the d-line? Why isn't there a 12 page thread about Branch and Clemons? 

I don't think anyone expects anything from them at this point.

Quote:He seems to make the same mistakes over and over and over again.

 

I think this is the most frustrating part. Every week we have this same conversation. Every week, there's a throw by him that just makes you pull your hair out wondering what he's thinking...or seeing...or both.

 

This isn't something that's just happening now. This is something that he's exhibited from the moment he got here. Every week he stands on the press con and discuss a stupid throw, yet week in and week out...it happens.

 

At some point, regardless of how great a competitor he is, he needs to understand his limitations. He's not Favre, no matter how much he idolizes him. He simply doesn't have the arm to throw the passes that he *thinks* he can make. Until he can do this, he'll never reach the next level as a QB.

Quote:Yes, they made a stink about rules that were already in place.

 

To act like this is a different era is a silly way to attempt to make a point.  A total reach.

 

Carry on.  Nonsense.

 

Look at the passing yards AND touchdowns across the league the past few years.

 

Then tell us this isn't a different era for passers. 

I'm not even close to being on the anti-Blake bandwagon, he is by far the best QB we've seen here in a long time, but I am starting to see some football intelligence things show up pretty consistently.

 

Without even talking about the illegal forward passes (twice, really?), he also seems to be only reading one side of the field and is either changing the play incorrectly at the line or something that we aren't privy to such as coaching.

 

 

I still think he has the ability to be elite and the porous offensive line along with the lack of any real run threat is not allowing him to really break out.

Quote:I'm not even close to being on the anti-Blake bandwagon, he is by far the best QB we've seen here in a long time, but I am starting to see some football intelligence things show up pretty consistently.

 

Without even talking about the illegal forward passes (twice, really?), he also seems to be only reading one side of the field and is either changing the play incorrectly at the line or something that we aren't privy to such as coaching.

 

 

I still think he has the ability to be elite and the porous offensive line along with the lack of any real run threat is not allowing him to really break out.

 

Yeah I don't think there's any denying that he has talent. Clearly, he does. But until he catches up to the mental aspect of things, he won't reach that next level.