Blake Bortles Leads Patchwork Offense To Redemptive Victory Over Titans
By Larry Brake
Blake Bortles has been criticized all season for his performances or lack of. Still, he leads the Jacksonville Jaguars to victory.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were in dire need of a victory. Jacksonville felt the sting of Gus Bradley being fired earlier in the week. The Jaguars wanted to give the fans an early Christmas gift. Yet, with all the injuries, Blake Bortles leads the patchwork offense to victory.
First of all, Marcedes Lewis and Julius Thomas are officially out for the rest of the season. In addition, four more players are injured and will not play. Both T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory will leave the game due to injuries. Bortles leads the team to victory with his best performance to date.
Bortles completed 26 passes for 325 yards and one touchdown. He caught a 20 yard pass for a touchdown from Marqise Lee. His quarterback rating was 103.5 for the game while his season rating is 77.6.
Three Factors Which Leads To Jacksonville Winning The Game.
First, Bortles got into rhythm early. The tempo of the offense was faster and more steady than in previous games. Bortles listened to his internal clock. Seems like Bortles threw the ball after four seconds had passed and moved the team downfield.
Second, Bortles and Allen Robinson connected on big plays. Robinson caught nine passes for 147 yards with the longest being a 37 yard reception. Hopefully the Bortles-to-Robinson connection has been resurrected.
Third, Bortles may have found another reliable target in Bryan Walters. Walters caught five passes for 45 yards in crucial situations. In 2016, Walters has caught 16 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.
Blake Bortles really played within himself. He didn’t try to extend plays which normally result in turnovers. He utilized each of the weapons at his disposal. Ultimately, he was the recipient of a trick play that resulted a touchdown. Really, as Bortles leads the team, he is a better game manager than a gunslinger.