Ramsey: Jaguars should've trusted Bortles more in AFC Championship game

Jaguars CB spoke on a number of topics in GQ interview

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a recent article with GQ Magazine Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey shared his thoughts on several quarterbacks around the NFL, including his teammate Blake Bortles. 

“Like people say Blake sucks, but he took us to the AFC Championship game off strictly doing what was just asked of him: not turning the ball over, running Leonard [Fournette] to death, letting the defense get some turnovers, and putting us in a good field position to capitalize on,” said Ramsey to GQ.

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“That was what we asked him to do. Playoff Blake is good. People can say whatever but playoff Blake is good. I think that's how it is with a lot of teams: as long as you do what that team is asking you to do, and you do it well with the rest of the team, then you can be considered good—or at least not bad. You not a bad quarterback if you do what your team asks of you.”

In the AFC Championship game the Jaguars held a fourth quarter lead against the Patriots. Jacksonville wasn’t able to hold on for the win and Ramsey has a theory on why.  

“Blake do what he gotta do… I think in crunch time moments, like last year's playoff game—not as a team, because we would have trusted him—but I think as an organization, we should have trusted him more to keep throwing it,” said Ramsey to GQ. “We kinda got complacent and conservative. And I think that's why we lost. We started running it on first and second down, throwing it on third down, every single time we were out there. [The Patriots] caught on to that.”

Ramsey added the following on what he’s seen out of Bortles during practices:

“We [1st team defense] never go against him unless it's training camp. We never go against them in practice, during the season.”

“Yeah, scout team. Plus we don't wanna hurt his confidence. That'll probably hurt his confidence.”

Ramsey is currently suspended for a week after going on a profane rant Sunday against local media. He is expected to rejoin the team on Monday.