Quote:If the pocket is consistently collapsing, why not call a roll out? Bortles showed in the preseason his strengths are his ability to be mobile and keep his eye up the field. If this is his learning year, what's the point of giving him plays he can't check out of at all? Isn't it better to have him make mistakes, then I dunno, learn from them? Why "dumb down the playbook", when the only thing we have to gain is his on field knowledge of the playbook!? Our young WRs too, what will they gain by repeatedly painting from a limited palette? 

 

Henne was horrible in his attempts to be a game manager and conservative QB. Now Fisch is doing his best to mold Bortles in Henne's image, to the detriment of the team. He's ignoring why we got the guy in the first place. Good OCs can build a playbook around their QBs strengths, and craft plays that add to it. Fisch is asking a rookie what he feels comfortable with, then scrapping the rest, what is that!? No one is going to learn anything by sticking with what is comfortable. Jedd's job is to evaluate the man and show him what he can do, not box him into what feels safe.

 

Part of this rebuild is seeing what works and getting rid of what doesn't. If this holds true, it's obvious that Fisch and Mallory need to be replaced.

Haven't they run a lot of rollouts with Bortles?  It's only effective if you're able to run the ball well, and we've been pretty spotty in that area, so selling the play action in order to allow Bortles to move the pocket doesn't always work effectively. 

 

Most of the people who cover this team recognize that Bortles seems to be thinking too much out there, and this is precisely what you'd expect from a rookie QB.  That's why he's holding on to the ball too long, and why he's hesitant to pull the trigger at times.  He played looser in the preseason and early on in his time as the starter.  He's tightened up since then because most defenses now have film to look at, so they are learning his tendencies.  As the interceptions (especially the pick 6 variety) have to be on his mind as he's letting the ball go.  He's trying to avoid making  mistakes, and in the process, he's hampering  himself more than any play calling could possibly do.

 

The game will slow down for him, and when it does, we'll see him start to improve.  He wasn't quite ready to start when they plugged him in, but there's nothing that can be done about that now.  Water under the bridge. 

 

I'm not sure if Fisch need to be replaced because I don't know what plays are being called compared to what actually transpires on the field.  I've never been terribly impressed with the play calling, so if he goes, I don't see it as a big deal.  But, i don't think he's the root cause of Bortles struggles. 

 

As far as Mallory goes, special teams were actually a strength for this team last year.  This year, not so much.  Is that coaching, or is simply the result of having a very young bottom half of the roster to work with?  Again, if he's sent packing, I don't see an issue. 

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