What’s Next? Blake Bortles’ Second Mistake Free Game
By Luke Sims
We’ve all got to have something to aim for in life and Blake Bortles is no exception. After posting a second win on the season, the rookie quarterback should try and replicate his interception-less performance against the New York Giants.
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There’s an awfully strong correlation in the NFL that not turning the ball over wins football games. The opposite is also true.
Bortles has been on the wrong end of that correlation for far too long. On Sunday he looked like he was able to make all the throws and didn’t try too hard, forcing multiple throws into double, triple, or quadruple coverage. He was making better reads and progressing through them, not locking onto receivers and trying to get it to them no matter what.
There were lapses, yes, but ultimately they did not result in a turnover.
It’s one thing to do that against the three-win Giants. It’s an entirely different animal to do it against the J.J. Watt led Houston Texans defense. The Texans boast a terrific unit that can capitalize on any mistake. They’re the number one defense in turnovers and number four in interceptions. They’ve nabbed passes from 15 passes from opposing quarterbacks, averaging at least one a game.
A mistake free performance against a defense like that would be a big feather in Blake Bortles’ cap. It would mark a major stride forward in his development as he would not let a quality secondary and a phenomenal pass rush rattle him and force the mistake. Bortles is a decent quarterback when not pressured, but we all know that the Texans will bring the blitz. So far, Bortles has thrown six interceptions and no touchdowns when pressured.
As we look toward next game, hopefully Bortles will be able to build on last week’s success. It’s winning that matters most, so we’ll take a win even with a few mistakes. We’d really like to see Bortles play mistake free football again, though.