<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Blake Bortles is understandably taking some time off after what has been one of the most frustrating seasons of his life.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">But not much.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback said he expects to be back in California and working with Adam Dedeaux at 3DQB by mid- January. If everything goes according to plan, he won’t be back in Jacksonville until the end of March.

Blake Bortles regressed this season after posting career bests in many categories in 2015. Logan Bowles/USA TODAY Sports
<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">That’s approximately six weeks to work on and fix his footwork, which he says was his biggest mechanical issue throughout the 2016 season. If he gets that right, his windup and release -- which drew the most criticism from fans, analysts, and even his former college offensive coordinator -- will improve along with it.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"Everybody was worried about what was going on up top when the problem was my feet," Bortles said. "So when I was able, when Nathaniel [Hackett] took over [as offensive coordinator], we focused a lot more on that and there wasn’t a whole lot of talk about it anymore.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"It wasn’t that up top got a lot shorter, it was just that everything was more accurate, spinning better, so there was nothing for people to really say when realistically it [where he was holding the ball] was probably half an inch higher. I wasn’t dropping the ball as much and it’s all kind of lower-body related on how to tighten that up. It did get a little bit better but I think there’s definitely still a lot of room to work and improve."

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">What, exactly, was wrong with Bortles’ lower-body mechanics? It has a lot to do with rhythm and length of his stride and how those things lengthened his windup. Bortles said part of his issue was that he was trying to be a stand-still passer, which has nothing to do with leaving the pocket, and that’s just not something with which he’s comfortable.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"Nate would call it [being] a rhythm passer," Bortles said. "I’m a rhythm passer. Chad [Henne] is a stand-still passer. Like, I can’t stand still in the pocket. Chad, like Tom Brady, they can stand there and [not bounce]. I have to be moving forward or moving, Peyton Manning-like, moving my feet, moving around. I can’t just stand still."

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">There’s nothing wrong with that, but Bortles got out of sorts when he threw the ball. He wasn’t as compact as he needed to be, and he used a baseball analogy to explain it.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"You go to hit a baseball, you’re not going to swing the bat until your front foot comes down," Bortles said. "It’s the same thing when you go to throw. Your arm’s not going to start coming forward until your foot goes down, so the longer your front stride is the lower the ball goes and the longer it (the delivery) looks.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"So wider base, quicker stride, shorter release."

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">Bortles had revamped his delivery after his rookie season with Dedeaux and Tom House at 3DQB. He spent nearly two months in California and even got together with receiver Marqise Lee and tight end Julius Thomas to throw while they were on the West Coast.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">The changes paid off with what appeared to be a breakout season in 2015: single-season franchise records in passing yards (4,428) and passing touchdowns (35).

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">However, Bortles only spent six days in California after that season, instead staying in Jacksonville to throw with his receivers, including Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Lee. His mechanics suffered and Bortles completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards and 23 touchdowns with 16 interceptions.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">Bortles said spending less time out west and staying in Jacksonville to throw with the Jaguars’ receivers was something then-offensive coordinator Greg Olson believed was the best thing to do. Bortles said he now realizes he needs the constant scrutiny he got at 3DQB to make sure he’s mechanically sound.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"There was a difference in beliefs between Olly (Olson) and the guys that I throw with out in California," Bortles said. "They’d had a previous interaction and disagreed on some things so he was a little negative of them, but he was totally supportive of what I wanted to do. But all our wide receivers were here in Jacksonville so he thought it was a good idea -- and to me it seemed like a good idea as well to come in here and throw with those guys.

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"The only thing I missed was instead of going and throwing with somebody that’s watching me throw and critiquing and helping every single throw, I threw here by myself the whole time and had nobody watching or telling me what I was doing wrong. And I can’t do that. I need people to help me. I need constant feedback on stuff like that."

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">That’s why he’s not taking much time off before heading west again. A couple weeks to let his right shoulder and right wrist heal and then he’s jumping on a plane.

 

<p style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;color:rgb(72,73,74);">"It’ll be, ‘Alright, let’s get to work and figure out how we can [fix things] and let’s work on it all offseason,’" he said.

 

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/jacksonville-ja...-mechanics

 

 

What the heck have I said all along? Seriously. Screw Greg Olsen.

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I just read this via Reddit and I'm simply flabbergasted at this entire read.


Really, Olson...really?!?

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<i>Behold man's final mad disgrace.</i>

<i>He chops his nose to spite his face.</i>

 

-Etrigan the Demon

 

I like that he compared Henne to Brady...and himself to P. Manning...lol

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Have you seen my baseball?

"Bortles has a bad work ethic, he doesn't care."

 

That [BLEEP] better get tossed out the window right now. I've constantly hit the table saying this was likely the case and he was in Jacksonville working with our receivers way more than the year before. I also mentioned how Olsen isn't high on mechanics. This confirms all of that. 

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I get wanting/needing to build chemistry with your receivers. I'm thinking just take the whole group out West for a bit during training. Kill two birds with one stone...unless House won't let QBs bring in their receivers?

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<i>Behold man's final mad disgrace.</i>

<i>He chops his nose to spite his face.</i>

 

-Etrigan the Demon

 

I've speculated several times over the course of the season that Blake had too many coaches with varying methods screwing up his technique. 

 

Sounds pretty legit now.

 

 I also just got done posting in another thread that his footwork and hip-turn have been the big difference between 2015/2016.

 

Hmmmmm.....

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All I can think... is good.  This is promising. 

 

He put up Franchise Record numbers in '15.  If he can go back to that level of production, or even close, we're a scary, scary team.

 

On the bright side... his severe regression in '16 lead to the exit of Gus Bradley... so... Thanks Olsen?

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PA Jags Fan
;
; Supporting from long distance

I like that he compared Henne to Brady...and himself to P. Manning...lol

What he said makes sense. Manning was like a ballerina in the pocket. Tom Brady is a literal statue but with a rare arm.

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No commercial messages in sigs

I get the comparisons...but still, I just found it amusing.

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Have you seen my baseball?

I like that he compared Henne to Brady...and himself to P. Manning...lol

 

I find your lack of reading comprehension disturbing.

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Fix the O-Line!

ok

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Have you seen my baseball?

So if Bortles doesn't work out that's 2 QBS Olsen has had a hand in destroying for us.

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Dirty Laundry incoming.

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Dirty Laundry incoming.

Figured it would start coming, the media acted like Gus still had the locker room and it's clear he didnt.

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Red flag ignored that he was OC for one of the worst offenses in the league the prior yr in Oakland.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

I like that he compared Henne to Brady...and himself to P. Manning...lol

Lol! When he said Henne like Brady I was like [BLEEP]... then I kept reading and was like ok I see what he mean

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So... Hackett... who was the QB coach.. needed to be promoted to OC before he realized the problem was his feet?

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Only a chump boos the home team!

So... Hackett... who was the QB coach.. needed to be promoted to OC before he realized the problem was his feet?

Could have been Olsen over ruling what he wanted Blake to work on

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

Wait, who was the OC in '15?

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This is promising, and shows that Blake can fix himself. This year was a wake up call for him to know he NEEDS to work on those mechanics every off-season. If a season like this got Gus fired and was what Blake needed to fix himself, I'm fine with it.


Between the injuries and this nonsense, Blake's regression makes so much more sense.


Funny how Olsen just disagrees with people who's job is throwing mechanics lol that's like a guy in the gym for the first time telling Arnold how to arch his back on a bench.

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS