JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Monday Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said that he was bringing in some outside help to improve his throwing mechanics.
Bortles spent two days this week working with Adam Dedeaux, a mechanics instructor at 3DQB in Los Angeles, after struggling with his accuracy over the first seven games of the season. Bortles has worked with Dedeaux and Tom House over the past two summers to clean up his elongated throwing motion.
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Typically the Jaguars install most of the game plan for their next opponent on Wednesday and Thursday of each week. After two days of preparing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jaguars coach Gus Bradley can already see a difference in his quarterback.
“I thought he’s had two really, really good days,” said Bradley. “Really good days.”
Often times NFL teams are reluctant about using coaches not affiliated with the team during the season. In this case Bortles had the blessing of both Bradley and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
“I think that if Blake, if he’s got somebody that he trusts and he believes in and it makes him better and it makes him more confident, I mean of course I want him to do that,” said Hackett. “I want to support that and I’ll be there with him and whatever it takes.”
Tom Brady and Drew Brees are just two names on a long list of quarterbacks that Dedeaux has worked with in recent years. Although those sessions usually occur during the off-season, Bradley feels that this mid-season visit was beneficial for Bortles.
“I just think that sometimes things like this, they come in and it’s like a refreshment,” said Bradley. “Just tighten some things up and I think it’s a clearer picture of where you’re at and it’s another perspective of somebody that he trusts. He’s just in a better place and I think there’s a combination of things; scheme, understanding, there’s a lot of things that go into it. Is it something that ‘oh god, look at this, it’s a night and day difference.’ I think he’s just improved. Let’s just put it that way.”