JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars lost to the Buccaneers on Thursday night in the preseason home opener. Here are the answers to the four big questions I had entering the game.
1. Can Blake Bortles put aside a tumultuous week of camp and perform at gametime?
Answer: No. Bortles looked tentative, missed open receivers and generally looked like a guy who didn’t want to be out there. It was exactly the opposite of what Bortles needed to do to win back the confidence of teammate and fans—not to mention himself. Bortles numbers weren't terrible (8 of 13, 65 yards), but his play didn't measure up. The incompletions were, by and large, big misses. Chad Henne came in and immediately threw to crisp passes to the end zone. The first was dropped by Keelan Cole, the second was in the hands of Allen Robinson before being knocked out of his grasp. In his first drive, Henne threw more good passes than Bortles did in the first 28 minutes of the game. The quarterback question is now a quarterback controversy, or more coorectly, a quarterback competition.
Doug Marrone put Henne and the starting offense, plus Keelan Cole, into the game to start the third quarter. They started a drive on their own 2-yard line after an interception and Henne led a methodical drive that ended in a punt into the end zone.
So is the quarterback position up for competition? Yes. After the game, Marrone said as much.
"I'm looking for someone who is going to lead this offense," Marrone said. "I'm not happy with the performance. I'm not going to sit here and BS anyone. Everyone saw it out there. Whatever you want to call it, I'm still trying to evaluate who the best person is at that position."
Marrone said that he didn't yet know how he would handle the two quarterbacks in the upcoming week of practice or in Thursday's game against the Carolina Panthers.
2. How will the Jaguars running game look without Leonard Fournette in the lineup?
Answer: Terrible. The Jaguars offensive line was overmatched by the Tampa Bay defensive line in the first half. When T.J. Yeldon went out with an injury, Chris Ivory and Corey Grant didn’t do much. By the end of the half, when the Buccaneers pulled their starters, the Jaguars had amassed just one single yard rushing.
3. Will the young receivers continue to progress and how will their performance impact how the team approaches roster decisions coming at the end of the preseason?
Answer: Not much of a step forward. Keelan Cole had a terrific punt return, then followed it up on the next play with a dropped would-be touchdown pass by Chad Henne. Shane Wynn, Dede Westbrook and Rashad Greene did little to stand out until late in the fourth quarter, when Wesbrook made a six receptions for 131 yards. On a night that saw the Jaguars struggle in all phases, the young receivers didn't take a step forward.
4. Is the linebacker lineup featuring Paul Posluszny in the middle going to be the base defense for the team this year?
Answer: To be determined. Posluszny looked like his old self, making tackles and generally being in the right place. Jack wasn’t as effective making the move back to strong side linebacker. It is very early, but I suspect that the way they lined up on Thursday night will be the way they lineup on opening day.