Jaguars to start QB Henne on Thursday

Aug 24, 2017 - 5:02 AM Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne will start Thursday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, coach Doug Marrone announced on Wednesday.

Fellow quarterback Blake Bortles will also receive reps with the first team.

Marrone has not been pleased with what he has seen from his quarterbacks thus far in the preseason.

Case in point was last week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft and the team's starter since Week 4 of his rookie season, was ineffective in his four series in the first half against the Bucs, all of which ended in punts. The 25-year-old completed 8 of 13 passes for 65 yards against Tampa Bay and is 11 of 18 for 81 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in two preseason games.

Henne was not much better versus the Buccaneers, connecting on 6 of 10 for 44 yards.

Yet each quarterback had two incompletions that have stirred much of the quarterback controversy.

Bortles twice missed a wide-open Allen Robinson downfield, once throwing well behind his receiver and the second one a couple yards short of an open Robinson.

Henne was on target to both Keelan Cole and Robinson in the end zone, but neither receiver could hang onto the ball that was momentarily in his hands.