After the first seven weeks of the season the Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-4. This comes after starting the season at 2-1. In fact, the past three weeks have resulted in the Jaguars being outscored 57-0 in the first half of each game. There are problems all over, but the most obvious is quarterback Blake Bortles. His play the last three weeks has been abysmal. But, it’s not likely that the team will move on from him before the season’s end. Either way, he should not be on the team at the beginning of next season.
Blake Bortles‘ Time in Jacksonville Should End Regardless of London Game Outcome
Turnover Machine
Blake Bortles is a turnover machine. In fact, he has thrown the most interceptions in the league in the past five seasons.
Best in the league pic.twitter.com/AweN7q3e80
— Alfie (@AlfieBCC) October 22, 2018
At 72 interceptions, Bortles is averaging over 14 in a season and we’re only about halfway through this season. You can also see in the above tweet that Bortles has the most off-target throws since entering the league. The Jaguars current offensive philosophy should require a quarterback that handles the ball more efficiently.
Speaking of efficiency, Teddy Bridgewater is one quarterback who would be more efficient. Bridgewater has a smaller sample size because of his injury but has thrown 50 fewer interceptions than Bortles. Even if Bridgewater had played full seasons in 2016 and 2017, he would likely be far under the 72 that Bortles has thrown. Bridgewater is easily a better fit for a Jaguars team that wants to be centered around the run game. He won’t turn the ball over and you can feed Leonard Fournette (provided he is healthy).
Bortles is No Good for a Power Run Team
Because of Blake Bortles’ aforementioned inefficiency, he is a bad fit for the Jaguars offensive scheme. The front office and coaching staff wants to win in the trenches. They let that be known by picking Leonard Fournette fourth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. The point was made even more clear when they chose not to keep the former number one receiver, Allen Robinson. But you still need a quarterback who doesn’t give the ball to the other team. Your running back won’t get yards if he’s on the bench.
So far this season, Bortles is on pace to have nearly the same amount of touchdowns as interceptions. He currently has nine touchdowns against eight picks. Another thing that is unfortunate with Bortles is that his turnovers usually come in bunches. He lost two fumbles against Houston and threw four picks against Kansas City. Blake Bortles current and past struggles are enough to suggest he doesn’t belong on the team past 2018. Regardless of a potential win in London, the Jaguars must move on from Bortles after the season.
The Big Question
Why has the Jacksonville front office been willing to ride with Bortles for this long? The easy answer is that General Manager Dave Caldwell doesn’t want to admit he made a mistake picking Bortles. But it’s time to face reality. Especially because Caldwell isn’t the only one in charge. Tom Coughlin is the Executive Vice President of football operations for the team. Coughlin has a big say when it comes to Jacksonville’s roster. Many fans are right to question their decision making the season after going to the AFC Championship game. They gave Bortles a three-year extension and the team now sits a 3-4.
The biggest question right now is: How far will the coaching staff/ front office let the team fall with Blake Bortles at the helm? They have shown questionable decision making with even deciding to go with a run-heavy offense. The NFL is a passing league now. But they have chosen to have a running back that can’t stay healthy and a quarterback that puts his team in bad situations. The team has injuries this year, but Bortles has shown he can’t lift the team to a victory.
The Last Word
The best case scenario this weekend sees Jacksonville advancing to 4-4 on the season. That is a far cry from their 2-0 start after beating New England in week two. Even if we see “Good Blake” against the Philadelphia Eagles, his fate should already be sealed. Here’s to hoping the Jacksonville Jaguars have a new player under center in 2019.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
