We’ve reached the gallows humor segment of the Jaguars season.
Quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in each of the team’s last three games against the Texans, who the Jaguars face in Houston on Sunday. No quarterback has ever thrown pick-sixes in four straight games against the same team, which led to a question for Bortles about how to avoid making history.
“I’ve got to be a better tackler,” Bortles quipped, via ESPN.com.
The only other quarterback to have three interceptions returned for touchdowns in three straight games against one team was Peyton Manning, so one could find some hope for Bortles’ future. There isn’t much else about Bortles’ play that elicits comparisons to Manning, however.
Bortles has now had 11 interceptions returned for touchdowns in his career, which wouldn’t be good even if he’d won more than 10 games as a starting quarterback. Bortles said that he plans to spend more time in California working with trainers on his mechanics than he did last offseason.
“I felt just after my rookie year when I went out there and spent all that time in California, I felt good and I think the play was definitely better than it has been this year,” Bortles said. “So maybe that’s what I need to do and where I need to be.”
Bortles may be working with a new coaching staff come 2017 and he’ll need to be considerably better as a passer, if not a tackler, if the team is going to avoid thoughts about finding someone else to do the job.
