I and many others have argued that this team would play better with more competent QB play i.e. Blake Bortles as the starter.  Certain players have an effect on how the team plays.  They just do.  When a team feels like a QB gives them a shot to win the game, you don't think that will have an impact on a team's confidence level?  If a team lacks confidence and/or faith in their starting QB, do you think their play is impacted?  I do.  This game might be about $$$$ to many but winning matters.  Competition matters.  These guys want to compete, that's all a lot of them have known since a young age with football.

 

My thoughts go back to Blake and UCF.  Take a look at what happened to UCF with Blake at QB just last season.  12-1 with their only loss being by 3 to a highly ranked and considerably more talented USC team.  They beat Teddy and Louisville, Bryce Petty and #13 Baylor, etc.  Blake brought that team from unranked to a top 10 team.  Where are they this year without Bortles at QB?  0-2 coming off a 38-10 loss to unranked Mizzou.

 

Bortles redshirt freshman year they go 5-7, the next year 10-4, then 12-1.  It's early this year but I expect their win total to be considerably less than last year.  

 

Why do you think their play has dropped?  Because they lost Storm Johnson? I'm sure some will be thinking I'm jumping the gun and I may be.  It's something I've thought about and I can't sleep yet.  I'm curious what other people think about this. 

 

Certain guys have a confidence about them, a moxy (sp) if you will that teams feed off of.  Blake is a gamer and guys respond to things like that.  You can sense it from afar, I can only imagine how it is when you're on the field with him.  His attitude reminds me so much of guys like Brady/Big Ben.  It's a type of guy we haven't had at the QB position since pre-injury Brunell.  

 

Am I crazy?  Likely. 

 

*EDITED* Took out the last sentence or two, not needed here.

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If you're asking whether a great QB can elevate the play of his teammates, my answer would be, "duh."

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If you're asking whether a great QB can elevate the play of his teammates, my answer would be, "duh."

 

I was trying to focus it more solely on Blake and probably should have taken the last part out of there, actually, I think I will. This was meant to be asked if people feel this with Blake.

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He has that moxie to him, sure, but that sort of thing is earned with results, not just by walking onto the field.

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This is true and I did jump the gun from that aspect.

 

I think we would see it almost immediately with him if he were given the chance to show it, though, he has that special ability.  If you ignore the stats in the pre-season, some of the things he did were simply beautiful.  Things we haven't seen done with a guy passing the football here in more than a decade.

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I think it's what the culture of winning is really about.  The one everyone talked about last year.  With a QB that gives you a shot -- a guy who truly belongs as a starter, players will work harder.  I think people got it wrong when they said you have to learn how to win -- the truth is, I think, you have to have someone who's skill inspires a win.  Someone who will keep you in a game even if you're down 17-0 or 28-0.  

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I was wrong about Trent Baalke. 

I think it's what the culture of winning is really about.  The one everyone talked about last year.  With a QB that gives you a shot -- a guy who truly belongs as a starter, players will work harder.  I think people got it wrong when they said you have to learn how to win -- the truth is, I think, you have to have someone who's skill inspires a win.  Someone who will keep you in a game even if you're down 17-0 or 28-0.  

 

Blakes ability to keep his team in it and come back late in games is another aspect I neglected to post about.  He just has that factor to him and that isn't something you can teach.  Yet another way he reminds me of a guy like Big Ben.  I agree with you on learning how to win.  That's a joke.  

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I also watched all of those games and you're right Bortles played on an elite level in every game. The Baylor game in particular was an eye opener. Went in underdogs and beat a very good team. He's been clutch in big games, and to me that's important. Like I said let the players vote on it. They're union right? :-)

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Jaguars Fundamentalist

That is very frustrating.  Once we're down 7 or 14 points, it's done. This team has to play so tight to the vest, basically make ZERO mistakes to even have a chance to win. 

 

Anybody remember beating the Browns a few years back and we had six turnovers?  I think it was the year Drew won the rushing title, maybe the year before that.  Can you imagine what the score would be if we turned it over six times today?  LOL

The skins ran EIGHTY ONE offensive plays today.  Insane.

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That is very frustrating.  Once we're down 7 or 14 points, it's done. This team has to play so tight to the vest, basically make ZERO mistakes to even have a chance to win. 

 

Anybody remember beating the Browns a few years back and we had six turnovers?  I think it was the year Drew won the rushing title, maybe the year before that.  Can you imagine what the score would be if we turned it over six times today?  LOL

The skins ran EIGHTY ONE offensive plays today.  Insane.

 

You know what the sad thing is about the fact of how bad the Redskins (Who I might add had a worse record than us last year btw) beat us? A lot of people in a couple threads say that they didn't care because this team has shown so much more than the team last year.

 

I can't even fathom how anyone that likes the Jags could literally type that out and believe it. We showed absolutely nothing today that shows we are better than we were in 2013, as one of the worst teams in NFL history. We're looking to equal that or match it. 

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Titansequaltrash aka my mini me. Follows me around like a cute puppy dog.

You know what the sad thing is about the fact of how bad the Redskins (Who I might add had a worse record than us last year btw) beat us? A lot of people in a couple threads say that they didn't care because this team has shown so much more than the team last year.

 

I can't even fathom how anyone that likes the Jags could literally type that out and believe it. We showed absolutely nothing today that shows we are better than we were in 2013, as one of the worst teams in NFL history. We're looking to equal that or match it. 

 

Yeah, I felt like today was one of the worst losses we've had in some time.  It looked like OSU/Kent State this past weekend. 

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Yeah, I felt like today was one of the worst losses we've had in some time.  It looked like OSU/Kent State this past weekend. 

 

It just goes to show you how many people like the Jags just because they live in Jacksonville and how many people actually watch and pay attention to the Jags. 

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Titansequaltrash aka my mini me. Follows me around like a cute puppy dog.

That is very frustrating.  Once we're down 7 or 14 points, it's done. This team has to play so tight to the vest, basically make ZERO mistakes to even have a chance to win. 

 

Anybody remember beating the Browns a few years back and we had six turnovers?  I think it was the year Drew won the rushing title, maybe the year before that.  Can you imagine what the score would be if we turned it over six times today?  LOL

The skins ran EIGHTY ONE offensive plays today.  Insane.

 

I imagine it'd be 58-10 or so.

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I was wrong about Trent Baalke. 

Not crazy at all, I look back to the preseason when he was being encouraging to the line for making a great block while also hurrying them down the field at the same time. The players respond very well to him and he, I feel, undoubtably gives us the best chance to win.

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Not crazy at all, I look back to the preseason when he was being encouraging to the line for making a great block while also hurrying them down the field at the same time. The players respond very well to him and he, I feel, undoubtably gives us the best chance to win.

 

Oops... you meant Blake Bortles giving us the best chance to win right? 

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Titansequaltrash aka my mini me. Follows me around like a cute puppy dog.

I've been saying it all day. The kid will make this team instantly better in all phases. I have a feeling he'll just make something happen on offense and sustain drives for points. It gives everyone motivation to play harder. When you start the 1st quarter 0-14, guys aren't going to play the same. They're shocked and they lose focus. Chad was the reason for 6 of those sacks today, and his reads were bad.

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I've been saying it all day. The kid will make this team instantly better in all phases. I have a feeling he'll just make something happen on offense and sustain drives for points. It gives everyone motivation to play harder. When you start the 1st quarter 0-14, guys aren't going to play the same. They're shocked and they lose focus. Chad was the reason for 6 of those sacks today, and his reads were bad.

 

Yep, against a Washington team that was worse than we were last year. No excuse for that terrible of play. 

 

Bortles should be named started instantly. 

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Titansequaltrash aka my mini me. Follows me around like a cute puppy dog.

Scarecrow, the problem with your hypothesis is many changes occured at UCF. How many other starters did they lose, besides Bortles and Johnson? Were any coaches replaced before the 12-1 season? What about injuries keeping some starters out of important games? You have to look at everything before suggesting Bortles was why UCF only lost one game. Maybe he was a big reason, but without knowing any other details, I can't say it was almost 100% "the Bortles effect."

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Scarecrow, the problem with your hypothesis is many changes occured at UCF. How many other starters did they lose, besides Bortles and Johnson? Were any coaches replaced before the 12-1 season? What about injuries keeping some starters out of important games? You have to look at everything before suggesting Bortles was why UCF only lost one game. Maybe he was a big reason, but without knowing any other details, I can't say it was almost 100% "the Bortles effect."

 

LOL...

 

Bortles (not even Storm Johnson) was the only reason anyone knew who UCF were in the past 2 years. 

 

Sorry, but yeah, that's the only detail you need to know about UCF JWOMEN  

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Titansequaltrash aka my mini me. Follows me around like a cute puppy dog.

Bortles leads UCF to Fiesta Bowl glory and Henne leads Michigan to the victim of the biggest upset in NCAA history

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