Nothing has been easy for Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles.
The struggles he's endured since taking over for Chad Henne earlier this season have been well-documented in written form—and, more importantly, on film.
Any way you look at it, Bortles has a long road to travel with his development if he wants to become a true franchise quarterback—a term that's actually not as cut-and-dried as its name suggests.Not counting how bad his offensive line has been, shoddy decision-making and a true lack of accuracy are the two biggest things that stand out when one watches him work.
Back in Week 9 of the NFL season, Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar brought some much-needed clarity to the Bortles narrative. He touched on what a terrible situation the team threw the QB into in Week 3:To be fair, the Jaguars didn't give Bortles the easiest job in the world. Not counting Cecil Shorts III, the other three wide receivers with the most yards on the team are all first-year players: Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee.
We've seen the worst of Bortles—his three-interception day against the Cleveland Browns comes to mind—and we've also witnessed some positive things from the former UCF Knight.
The 21-13 home win on Thursday Night Football over the Tennessee Titans was his best performance to date.
Working his way back from a foot injury, per Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, Bortles was able to suit up in Week 16.
It didn't start out well. His accuracy was horrible early. It didn't matter if he was dumping the football off or trying to push it toward the sidelines; he never gave his pass-catchers a chance.
Those issues, compounded by a slow ground attack, forced the Jaguars to punt away the football on their first four possessions.Things finally clicked for Bortles on the team's final drive of the second half.
It was a beautiful 11-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with the QB motioning his 6'6" tight end, Marcedes Lewis, to the outside before lofting the ball up to him in the corner of the end zone.
Lewis used his height to corral a four-yard touchdown pass, which was all the Jaguars needed to get back into the game.
With the Jags down 10-7 headed into the half, there was suddenly a spark of confidence in the air thanks to Bortles. It's the kind of confidence Bortles' teammates already have in him, as made evident by wide receiver Cecil Shorts III's comments after the win, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com:
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2304889-blake-bortles-finishing-up-and-down-rookie-season-on-strong-note
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