Bortles vows to remain ‘fearless’
LONDON – Despite a recent benching and what seems to be a tenuous hold on the starting job, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles insists the best way for him to break out of his current funk is to remain consistent with his style of play.
“You can’t play the position and play the game constantly worrying about, ‘What happens if I make a mistake?’ I’ve always kind of played fearless and not scared to make the mistake,” Bortles said following a light practice Friday at Allianz Park in London. “I think that’s allowed me to make some plays.
“But in saying that, I’ve got to also be smart and obviously take calculated risks and make sure whatever I’m doing is putting us in position to score.”
It doesn’t take a math wiz to calculate that the Jaguars (3-4) have not made enough plays during the threegame losing streak they bring into Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) at Wembley Stadium. And Bortles has been the face of those struggles.
During the team’s current skid, Bortles has thrown two touchdowns, five interceptions and lost three fumbles. In seven games this season, Bortles has 11 turnovers and 10 total touchdowns, undoing much of the goodwill he built up with a turnoverfree playoff run last season.
Those struggles led coach Doug Marrone to bench Bortles for backup Cody Kessler during the third quarter of a dismal performance Sunday against Houston, hoping to find any pulse from his offense.
Bortles, who was also benched during the 2017 preseason, was re-named the starter early Monday evening, and Marrone has emphasized there are various reasons for the team’s problems. But it’s fair to assume Kessler will get another opportunity if the Jaguars’ offense, currently ranked 29th in scoring at 16.6 points per game, doesn’t show signs of improvement.
Bortles recognizes that but has downplayed that there is any added pressure because of it.
“There’s been pressure, it seems like, since I got to Jacksonville,” Bortles said. “So it’s kind of normal. I think there’s pressure at every position at all times in the NFL. If you’re not getting the job done or playing well or being successful, they’ll eventually replace you and find somebody else that can.”
Bortles is hoping to play better, and he’s not alone among his teammates.
“He’s always motivated to redeem himself, just like we all are,” defensive end Calais Campbell said of Bortles. “When you lose a game, especially losing three in a row, you’re eager to redeem yourself and just get back in the win column. We know that when we do it right, we’re a tough team to beat. But when we don’t, anybody can beat you and beat you pretty good, as we’ve seen.”