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Allen Robinson saved 2015 for Blake Bortles

By Luke Sims

Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) breaks up as pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Jacksonville defeated Baltimore 22-20. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith (22) breaks up as pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Jacksonville defeated Baltimore 22-20. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and wide receiver Allen Robinson had a fantastic 2015 season, but the latter certainly helped make it even better.

It’s no secret that Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles isn’t afraid to air it out and give his receivers a chance to fight for the ball. While it led to Bortles leading the league in interceptions in 2015, it also led to many big plays.

Wide receiver Allen Robinson was a primary recipient of many of those deep passes and routinely out-battled opposing defenders in order to come down with the ball. Sometimes that turned into a thing of beauty, but other times the ball just wasn’t in a good enough position for Robinson to make a great play.

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Bortles’ 18 interceptions could have easily been more because of some truly bad decisions. Fortunately we only care about the final result in the NFL and those 18 interceptions are the mark we’ll look to in years to come as we gauge Bortles’ development as a quarterback.

But what if Bortles didn’t have Allen Robinson to come down with those deep balls? What if Allen Hurns and Julius Thomas weren’t there to take at least some attention off the stud WR?

I imagine that things would have turned out quite a bit differently. I’m glad they didn’t, but there is always the possibility that Blake Bortles would have looked much worse if he didn’t have Allen Robinson.

This is reflected in Pro Football Focus’s recent ranking of the top deep passer and top deep threat in their 2015 superlatives.

Dec 20, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) catches the ball for a touchdown over Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) during the second half at EverBank Field. Atlanta Falcons defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson (15) catches the ball for a touchdown over Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant (21) during the second half at EverBank Field. Atlanta Falcons defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Despite Bortles routinely chucking it deep, it was Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who was listed as the best deep passer in the NFL. The runner up was Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals. What’s most interesting about putting Roethlisberger at the top spot is this line:

"…looking at the stats is not always the best way to determine the best deep-ball thrower, but our grades take into consideration the timing and ball location of each throw, as well as crediting the quarterback for well-placed passes that are dropped."

Roethlisberger and Palmer both had excellent receivers to throw the ball to, but they were also putting their receivers in a better position to come down with the ball. Bortles, who is a relatively raw talent when compared to those quarterbacks who are over 30 years old is still developing his skills. What we saw in 2015 was promising, but wasn’t a mature season of deep passing.

On the other end of the pass, Allen Robinson was recognized as the best deep threat, beating out runner up Sammy Watkins of the Buffalo Bills. Here’s what PFF had to say:

"No wide receiver helped his quarterback as much as Robinson, who led the league with 672 yards on deep passes, a PFF record dating back to 2007. Whether running away from defenders or leaping over them to extend a drive, Robinson made big plays happen all season long for the Jaguars."

Honestly, I am not certain that I could agree more. Robinson routinely made circus catch after circus catch. He came down with balls that he had no business catching. He made even the best coverage somehow look insufficient.

The play of Robinson really helped Bortles shine in 2015. Those 672 yards on deep passes were often the result of Robinson more than Bortles. Bortles deserves some credit, but there are only a handful of wide receivers who would be able to come down with so many of those deep passes like Robinson did.

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Credit where credit is due, Allen Robinson really saved Blake Bortles in 2015.

The good news is that they are both still incredibly young and if they were able to make these connections in their sophomore campaigns, imagine what they’ll be able to do as they both mature more.

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