#FreeBortles
By Luke Sims
You just can’t win with terrible offensive line play in the NFL. Chad Henne knew that heading into the game agains the Washington Redskins, but the Jacksonville Jaguars simply couldn’t muster up enough effort to overcome personnel deficiencies at O-line. Henne’s stat line suffered and the #FreeBortles movement really took flight.
Henne was playing poorly pretty much from the start and all eyes were on backup quarterback Blake Bortles. But could Bortles have done better than Henne’s 14 of 28 for 193 yards, one pick, and a TD? More importantly, could Bortles have released the ball fast enough have avoided some of the franchise record 10 sacks allowed?
Maybe, maybe not. But the #FreeBortles movement thinks that he could have. Let’s look at some of the tweets from every depressed Jaguars’ fan’s new favorite hashtag. Just keep scrolling, my friends.
what a miserable performance by #jags. don't see a reason, why blake did not enter the game. none. tanking in wk2? don't know. #FreeBortles
— pete 💚🤍 (@actuallypete) September 14, 2014
#freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles #freebortles
— Beer Dad (@904craftbeerdad) September 14, 2014
Redskins have more plays in #Jaguars territory than JAX has total plays. Embarrassing. #FreeBortles
— Fire Gus JR (@TheJayUNF) September 14, 2014
#FreeBortles. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.
— Bucky With The Good Hair (@Bucky_Todd) September 14, 2014
(whispering) psst.....hey #Jaguars here is how you sell out @EverBankField next week........#StartBortles #PlayTheKid #FreeBortles #DTWD
— Astro Jaguar (@astrojaguar) September 14, 2014
Horrible game for the Jags today #hennesucks Next week #FreeBortles
— Max Marrs-Mier (@m_3times) September 14, 2014
I guess that interception was due to the line huh? No. #Bortles #BortleKombat #FreeBlake #Jaguars #FreeBortles #WEWANTBORTLES
— Wanderer (@King__Ragnar) September 14, 2014
If you're Gus Bradley, what's your reasoning for NOT starting Blake Bortles in a divisional game at home next week? #FreeBortles
— Blaza Duval (@BLAZADUVAL) September 14, 2014
That last sack was so on Henne. The lineman cut showing that it is a quick throw and he decided to hold onto it!! #FreeBortles
— Kyler Day (@kday34) September 14, 2014
A competent, mobile QB would cover up some of the warts on the o-line. Where would we ever find one of those? #FreeBortles.
— Matthew Faulkner (@mjfaulker) September 14, 2014
@DownerJagFan Unfortunatly that TD pass is going to allow Gus to say Henne 'did some good things out there today'. #playthekid #freebortles
— Mick Pratt (@dadoftwinadoes) September 14, 2014
It’s going to be a long week for head coach Gus Bradley and the decision to continue with Chad Henne will be unpopular with the fan base if he does opt to stick with the original plan of Blake Bortles learning behind Henne for a full season. As some shrewd Twitter observers noted, how much is he really learning?
Though it’d be tough to bring Bortles into a David Carr type situation that could see him sacked 10 times a game.