Week 3 of the preseason is considered the "dress rehearsal" for the regular season.  There is actual game planning, and the starters play longer in this game than they do in any other preseason game.  How did the Jaguars fare?

 

 

Under normal circumstances, I would begin this post talking about some aspect of the team generally, with the rookie watch coming about mid post.  But I feel compelled to depart from that standard formula to get this off my chest.

 

1.  Rookie Watch

 

     A.  Blake Bortles-I have been a football fan since 1977, and a Jaguars' STH since 1995.  But in all of my years as a football fan, I don't think I've seen a more impressive preseason performance by a QB than I have seen with Bortles this year.  Every game, Bortles has made throws that have been nothing short of amazing.  Watching him tonight, I can't help but wonder if this is how Broncos fans felt watching Elway for the first few games in his career, or how Colts fans felt watching Manning.  Sam Kouvaris categorized Bortles' play tonight as "showing moxie."  His first drive of the night-starting at his own 3 yard line with no timeouts with <2 minutes remaining in the half was, for me, a spectacular show of gridiron testicular fortitude.  A rookie being put in that position with poor OL play would have been forgiven by playing it safe and running out the clock.  Heck, it's all Jaguars fans have known for the bulk of this team's history.  Not Bortles.  He went for the score immediately and attacked downfield.  His throws to Hurns down the left sideline and to Marcedes Lewis down the middle left me smiling.  Had he been a little more on target with the pass to Brown down the right sideline and Brown gets out of bounds, I fully believe we would have scored a TD.  He seems to play with an audaciousness...an athletic arrogance...I haven't seen in players besides the very elite (Elway, Favre, Peyton Manning, Marino), and his fake spike right before the half, and the rollout/scramble right and throw back across the field to Todman down the left side epitomize this.

After he threw his TD pass and what should have been a successful two point conversion, I saw everything I needed to see for the game.  I watched the rest, but none of it mattered.  I have been a proponent of bringing him along slowly, and naturally I defer to Bradley and Caldwell to "be the adults," and play Bortles only when he is ready.  But as I continue to watch Bortles make things look easy, my concern with him playing early is changing from whether he is ready to whether the rest of the offense-namely the o-line-is ready for him.  I am glowing with pride and overwhelming anticipation for what the drafting of Bortles will mean to this organization, this town and this fan base.

 

More later...

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I agree with you Bullseye. There is a dramatic difference in the way the offense looks when Bortles is on the field versus how they look with Henne. Chad just always seems to be in a rush to throw the ball immediately to the guy closest to him where Blake is always looking downfield first. He has a toughness that we haven't seen in a long time that's really exciting to watch.

 

What ever that "IT" factor is, Bortles just seems to have it. It's just a completely different type of offense when he is on the field. if we can continue to allow him to grow at the right pace, I really believe we may have finally found our QB. No matter what, I don't think I haven't been this excited about watching our preseason games in quite some time.

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Season Ticket Holder - Sec 437

This made going through the Tebow clamor worth it.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I'd say start Bortles once the OL gains some stability. If thats as soon as week 3 vs the Colts, then so be it. 

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I'd say start Bortles once the OL gains some stability. If thats as soon as week 3 vs the Colts, then so be it. 

This is where I am right now.

 

However based upon tonight, the OL looks far from stable.

 

Even Joeckel had a bad night.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Is Bortles really as good as we think he is, or have we been deprived of a football worthy quarterback for so long we are overhyping him?

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Is Bortles really as good as we think he is, or have we been deprived of a football worthy quarterback for so long we are overhyping him?

A legit question.

 

My thing is people/entities that have not been deprived of a QB and are not fans of the Jaguars have been saying he's good.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Is Bortles really as good as we think he is, or have we been deprived of a football worthy quarterback for so long we are overhyping him?

He as good as we think he is. He's the real deal.

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This is where I am right now.

 

However based upon tonight, the OL looks far from stable.

 

Even Joeckel had a bad night.

 

I think barring any trades for outside OL help.....that 

 

Joeckel-Beadles-Bowanko-Linder-Pasztor (or Bradfield until he returns) is the group they should go forward with. 

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Is Bortles really as good as we think he is, or have we been deprived of a football worthy quarterback for so long we are overhyping him?

 

I think we're probably guilty of overhyping him somewhat....

 

 

but the numbers don't lie....

 

especially this one: 

 

9.8 YPA in 44 attempts while completing 64% That suggests this is indeed all legit. 

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I think barring any trades for outside OL help.....that 

 

Joeckel-Beadles-Bowanko-Linder-Pasztor (or Bradfield until he returns) is the group they should go forward with. 

It seems like everyone on the starting line looked bad at least once.

 

I don't know what's going to make me sicker tonight...the play of the O-line, or the question that keeps running through my mind:  what would Bortles do with a sober Blackmon catching passes?

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I think we're probably guilty of overhyping him somewhat....

 

 

but the numbers don't lie....

 

especially this one: 

 

9.8 YPA in 44 attempts while completing 64% That suggests this is indeed all legit. 

 

 I guess it is only natural to be extremely cautious after all our previous blunders. I truly do hope he is the one that will lead us to the promise land. Everything I see from him is awe inspiring, but again, after being so used to Leftwich, Garrard, Gabbert, Henne...it is hard to remember what a good quarterback plays like and I feel like I may mistake mediocre play for something amazing.

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I think we're probably guilty of overhyping him somewhat....

 

 

but the numbers don't lie....

 

especially this one: 

 

9.8 YPA in 44 attempts while completing 64% That suggests this is indeed all legit. 

 

He's playing great even Skipp Bayless had to do a 180 and he's almost as stubborn as you are...

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It seems like everyone on the starting line looked bad at least once.

 

I don't know what's going to make me sicker tonight...the play of the O-line, or the question that keeps running through my mind:  what would Bortles do with a sober Blackmon catching passes?

 

Or even better, what would Bortles do with a sober Blackmon catching passes behind a solid offensive line?

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It seems like everyone on the starting line looked bad at least once.

 

I don't know what's going to make me sicker tonight...the play of the O-line, or the question that keeps running through my mind:  what would Bortles do with a sober Blackmon catching passes?

 

Just think of a WR corps of Blackmon/ Robinson/ Lee (fully healthy)/ and Hurns.....with Blake Bortles at QB..... :woot: 

 

I mean....thats scary good. 

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Why does the pace of the game seem to slow down when Bortles is in? It feels so frantic watching Henne play

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Or even better, what would Bortles do with a sober Blackmon catching passes behind a solid offensive line?

Absolutely.

 

Despite Joeckel's bad game, I still think he can be a good LT.

 

The interior 2 are problematic, though, and Beadles is beginning to make me worry.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Why does the pace of the game seem to slow down when Bortles is in? It feels so frantic watching Henne play

You noticed that too, huh?

 

Bortles plays as if you give him an inch, and he'll try to take a mile.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Absolutely.

 

Despite Joeckel's bad game, I still think he can be a good LT.

 

The interior 2 are problematic, though, and Beadles is beginning to make me worry.

 

 

I was one who was against the Beadles signing at the time of it - and against signing any OL from Manning's OL because they simply appear better than they actually are because they aren't really asked to do much with the quickness that he gets rid of the ball with. 

 

Its better to look for linemen that grade out well with QB that are the opposite and have a tendency to hold onto the ball a lot. Thats where you can tell who's really doing the good job. 

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You noticed that too, huh?

 

Bortles plays as if you give him an inch, and he'll try to take a mile.

 

Simpler put....

 

Bortles plays to win the game.....not plays "not to lose" it. (the latter being the style of pretty much every QB we had since  pre-injury Brunell....) 

 

It is so refreshing. Del Rio (and Mularkey) would HATE this style. 

 

 

If they ever neuter him from this style and turn him into a game manager, I'll hate them for life. 

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