Bortles begins another chance
JACKSONVILLE — While at practice or inside the meeting room, during game-plan review sessions or driving to the Jaguars’ facility, quarterback Blake Bortles must think about some positive moments from his first three NFL seasons.
His first win, over Cleveland in 2014. The late touchdown throw to beat Buffalo in 2015. Catching a scoring pass last year against Tennessee. Right? Nope. “I try to leave it in the past,” Bortles said. “None of it was any good, I don’t think.”
Bortles is correct — a large portion of his work has not been good and probably merits being thrown into a pleasedon’t-recycle bin:
Most losses (34, four more than anybody else).
As many wins as interceptions returned for touchdowns (11).
Most times (140).
Second-most (51).
And a 2-20 record on the road, which is where the Jaguars start today against the Houston Texans.
But Bortles’ newest approach appears to be erasing what happened from 2014-16 — all of the bad, but the good as well — and looking entirely toward the next moment. Bortles has no choice. This season represents a final chance to establish himself as a no-doubt NFL starter, not just with the Jaguars but in the league. He has lost too many games and made too many mistakes to think otherwise.
Play well and lead the Jaguars to somewhere close to .500 and maybe he plays 2018 on a $19-million option or another team may consider him a quality competitive option.
Play poorly and he may not see October as the sacked interceptions starter and could have trouble latching on with another team in the future.
So much has changed in just one year.
Before last year’s opener against Green Bay, Bortles could not be faulted if he thought about a lucrative contract extension and long-term ties to the Jaguars.
Compare that to this year: As the Jaguars plodded through training camp and Bortles emerged as the winner of a nine-day competition over Chad Henne, the perspective rightfully changed. Prepare for the next practice. Stay on top of his fundamentals. Find a comfort level with the game plan. It is all about Today.
“There’s obviously stuff and different situations you can learn from, but I’d rather not think about it,” Bortles said. “Maybe someday at the end of my career [I will], whenever that is — hopefully a long time from now. There will be time [then] to look back on it and think about how that stuff shaped me.
“But as of now, it is, ‘Focus on how we can beat the Texans and how I can help us be as efficient as possible.’ ”
Efficient. That is Bortles’ buzzword this year.
“As long as he’s an efficient player, that’s the key,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “Efficiency.”
How realistic is that for Bortles? Two years ago, he seemed to be at his best when extending the play, scrambling and taking chances downfield. Last year, the go-forbroke approach disappeared. What remains present for Bortles is uncertainty around him, including some rookie receivers and linemen.
“There is always going to be outside noise,” Hackett said. “He just has to feel confidence about himself and understand the things he’s capable of. And then go out and do them.’’