Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles’ great awakening moment
By Larry Brake
The Jacksonville Jaguars may be the beneficiary of what might be called Blake Bortles’ great awakening
Blake Bortles played very well in leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 30-10 victory. He threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 119.8, which reflected his efficiency leading Jacksonville on multiple scoring drives.
The Jaguars needed Bortles to take command of the offense after the loss in Arizona. His late fourth quarter interception reinforced the notion that he has to make better decisions. Even though Arizona did not score after the interception, it was similar to what he did last season.
In a must win situation against the Indianapolis Colts, Bortles’ threw quick passes to move the chains. In the opening drive, he hit Keelan Cole and Leonard Fournette on quick strikes. After the fake punt bailed him out, he hit Marqise Lee for a touchdown.
Late in the second quarter, Bortles threw a nice pass to Cole for the touchdown. Since the Jaguars were cruising, everyone sang his praises. Had Bortles found redemption in the eyes of the fans? Bortles threw the ball away instead of throwing into tight windows. He ran the ball effectively in spots. He had three carries for 27 yards which picked up two crucial first downs.
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The game was never in jeopardy, but Jacksonville needed to take care of the ball. Indianapolis scored to make the score 24-10 with Jacksonville leading. The next drive, Bortles had his defining moment.
Bortles ran 20 yards after rolling out left to evade the rush. He threw a nice sideline fade to Cole to set Jacksonville up first and goal. Then came the quarterback’s big moment. On third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Jacksonville lined up in the shotgun formation. Chris Ivory stood next to Bortles in the backfield. The Jaguars needed to match the Colts touchdown.
The snap was placed perfect into Bortles’ hands. Ivory ran into the line and cut left. Bortles ran forward to evade the rushing Colts defenders. Just before he crossed the line of scrimmage, Bortles spotted Ivory and threw across his body for a three-yard completion. After seeing the result of his rash decision, he marked his steps into the end zone. There was not anyone near him. He passed up a touchdown run for a three-yard completion.
While running off the field, his body language showed his great awakening. He slapped his helmet in disgust. The light finally came on. This can be a moment that defines his maturation as an NFL quarterback, especially if he learns from it and — most importantly — corrects it.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars will need the Bortles that runs untouched into the end zone. Each game is, not only, a must win game but playoff seeding will come into play. Jacksonville must play for the third seed not to just make it into the playoffs. The play of Bortles could be the determining factor.