Blake Bortles is Not Peyton Manning
By Luke Sims
I love Blake Bortles. I won’t back down from that opinion despite his mistake making ways. Yet, even though I believe in Bortles, I will not draw comparisons between him and Peyton Manning. The Blake Bortles/Peyton Manning comparisons are being suggested in large part because both quarterbacks threw a lot of interceptions in their rookie seasons.
Manning finished his rookie season with 26 touchdowns to 28 interceptions.
Blake Bortles has 12 interceptions with just six touchdowns so far.
Peyton Manning averaged 1.75 interceptions per game with 1.63 touchdowns per game. Blake Bortles, in comparison, is averaging 1.2 touchdowns per game to 2.4 interceptions per game. At this rate, Bortles will throw 19 more interceptions putting him at 31 interceptions on the season with just 15 touchdowns. That’s two interceptions per touchdown.
Those are not Peyton Manning numbers.
As much as I love Blake Bortles, right now he is not playing on Peyton Manning’s rookie level. He has the physical tools t be successful, but they don’t belong in the same conversation and comparisons are premature at best right now. There’s no guarantee that Bortles has a 15 touchdown, 31 interception rookie season (he could get much better after all) and even if he does he could still rebound to be a very good quarterback. The confidence and tools, as mentioned before, are there he just needs to put them together.
Taking lumps is something most quarterbacks have to go through when they start as rookies. Peyton Manning took his fair share and Blake Bortles is certainly taking his as well. Bortles will continue to play like a rookie because he is just that. He will continue taking his lumps through the 2014 season, even if does improve. He will not look like Peyton Manning and that’s ok.
For now, let’s compare Bortles to himself, who he has been before and who is currently. The sample size is small, but it will grow and he will progress.
Give time we may find that drawing comparisons to one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time (arguably the greatest) but for now we need to keep in mind that Blake Bortles simply is not Peyton Manning.