Jacksonville Jaguars Shouldn’t Be Alarmed By Blake Bortles’ Turnover Issues

By Paul Jackiewicz @Paul_Jackiewicz on October 30, 2014

I find it very amusing that so many people seem to be amazed with the fact that Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown so many interceptions so far this season. Everyone should know by now that every rookie signal caller tends to throw a high number of interceptions.

Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games, so he’s on pace for about 30 interceptions this season. Keep in mind that future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions as a rookie. This obviously doesn’t mean Bortles is going to be as good as Manning, but it’s just a way of putting things in perspective for anyone who might be concerned about the amount of turnovers he’s converted so far.

After watching some film on Bortles, I believe he the issues he’s having are fixable. I’ve noticed that he tries to thread the ball into too many tight spots that he probably got away with in college, and that he simply can’t do in the NFL. He’s also tried throwing off his back foot, which will kill a quarterback in the NFL — unless your name is Aaron Rodgers, or someone as good as him.

You also have to remember that Jacksonville’s offensive line isn’t very good.  They’ve given up a league-leading 33 sacks through eight weeks. I’m sure this doesn’t help Bortles stay focused in the pocket as he ultimately waits to be hit by opposing defenders every time he drops back.

Bortles also doesn’t have the benefit of having a go-to No. 1 receiver at his disposal right now. The likes of Cecil Shorts, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns have been good, but having a player like Justin Blackmon would really help him. But as we know, Blackmon can’t stay out of trouble off the field, which is why he’s not playing this season.

So while Bortles has struggled, no one should be concerned at this point. Let’s look to see how he progresses next season. That will tell us a lot about the direction he’s headed in as pro quarterback.