Marqise Lee Has Quickly Become An Asset For Jacksonville Jaguars
By Billy Long
Marqise Lee has been a bright spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars in a season of ineptitude.
In the midst of another disappointing and underwhelming season, it is a daunting task to find positives for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team once again stumbled their way to another loss in Week 10, falling to 2-7 on the season.
The coaching staff is on the hot seat, and play calling has been questionable, to say the least. Quarterback Blake Bortles is struggling mightily, and the offense is following suit. The defense hasn’t been terrible, but simply cannot produce turnovers.
But in a sea of lackluster play, one player’s exceptional turnaround has really stood out this season: Marqise Lee.
Prior to this season, the former second round pick had battled injuries and never quite lived up to the expectations placed upon him by the team. Coming into camp this year, it was still unclear what Jacksonville had in Lee.
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All the hype and excitement at the wide receiver position deservedly centered around Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, who both entered the league the same year as Lee. Lee was an afterthought, and some fans wanted him traded or even cut.
But nine games into the 2016 season, Lee has stayed healthy thus far, and become a vastly beneficial asset for a struggling offense.
Lee has five games with at least 50 yards receiving this season, with four of them coming in the last five games.
He caught four passes for 50 yards Sunday against the Texans, and should have had a bigger impact in the game. He got behind his defender on a play during a crucial drive in the fourth quarter, but a woefully under-thrown ball from Blake Bortles eliminated what would have been an easy touchdown reception for Lee in a big spot.
While Lee has yet to get into the endzone this season, he has transformed himself into a major performer for the team. He has become arguably the most reliable producer on offense, an unexpected occurrence.
In a season where the Jacksonville Jaguars have exceedingly failed to live up to expectations, Marqise Lee has been a welcomed positive. It will be intriguing to see if Lee can continue to improve his game as the rest of the season unfolds.