JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Quick thoughts and analysis from the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-10 loss to the Denver Broncos:
Bortles being Bortles:
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Week after week the Jaguars continue to be hurt by the bad decisions of Blake Bortles. While he has improved since Nathaniel Hackett took over as offensive coordinator, there’s nothing a play caller can do about their quarterback throwing the ball into coverage.
Trailing by seven in the third quarter the Jaguars were very much holding their own against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Inexplicably, Bortles threw a pass over the middle of the field that was intercepted by Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby and returned for a 51-yard touchdown. The pick-six was the 11th of Bortles’ career, which leads the NFL since 2014. With an interception in the first half (although not his fault) Bortles now has thrown 50 interceptions in his short career.
Gus Bradley has said on several occasions that Bortles won’t be benched, but it’s hard to win games when you lose the turnover battle every single week.
Specials teams errors:
Naturally, there is a big emphasis placed on how well a team’s offense or defense plays each Sunday. In their last five games (all losses) the Jaguars have either held a lead in the fourth quarter or have been within one possession. In games with that slim of margin, special teams are often the difference.
IMAGES: Broncos vs Jaguars
WATCH: Uncut Gus Bradley post-game interview | Uncut Blake Bortles post-game interview
For seven straight games, the Jaguars have had an error on special teams that either leads to points for the opposing team or changed the game's momentum. Late in the second quarter Jacksonville allowed a 20-yard punt return and then an extra 15 yards was tacked on for a late hit. The result was a Denver field goal that gave them a 10-3 lead at halftime.
The Bank is closed:
EverBank Field continues to be a place where the Jaguars struggle. They’ve now lost six straight games in Jacksonville (the win against the Colts in London counts as a home game) and seven overall. By the time next Sunday rolls around (against Minnesota) it will have been nearly a calendar year (Dec. 13, 2015) since the Jaguars last won in front of their home crowd in Jacksonville.