Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
The Chad Henne era is over, and the Blake Bortles era begins this Sunday as the Jacksonville Jaguars look for their first win of the season against the San Diego Chargers. After Henne was benched last week against the Indianapolis Colts, Bortles turned in an above average performance in the second half.
Despite not playing in the first half, Bortles finished the game with 223 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions, while completing 58 percent of his passes. That’s not spectacular, but it’s also not bad for a rookie starting his first game against a very good Colts team. The Jaguars should be better off with Bortles as quarterback instead of Henne.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good news for the Jaguars ends. The Jaguars will be playing in San Diego this week and the Chargers are very good at home, just ask the Seattle Seahawks. The Chargers’ defense is currently allowing just 226 passing yards per game, and it will be difficult to predict how Bortles handles the pressure of his first start. When you add on the fact that he will be playing away from home against a solid Chargers team, it looks like Bortles and the Jaguars are in for another rough week.
To be blunt, barring some unforeseen miracle, this game should be another blowout. On the plus side, however, Bortles may see a lot of passes if the Jaguars find themselves down early, which they probably will.
Unless you’re desperate, there is no reason to start Blake Bortles this week against the Chargers.
