Jaguars QB Bortles silencing the doubters

Dec 12, 2017 - 1:46 AM JACKSONVILLE -- With the Jacksonville Jaguars gaining more and more attention, the first thing people talk about is the success the Jaguars have had due to their defense.

And why not?

The Jaguars have allowed 202 points, the fewest in the NFL, and their defense ranks No. 2 for total yards allowed. They lead the NFL in sacks, takeaways and most points scored off turnovers.

And while the defense continues to garner the most attention, it's hard to overlook what quarterback Blake Bortles is doing for the offense. Bortles is the much-maligned quarterback who has been subjected to harsh media criticism and fan wrath over the years.

But that talk has subsided after Bortles has turned in impressive efforts week after week. Sunday's performance against Seattle certainly qualifies for such a list. Some Jaguars regulars who watch and cover the team on a regular basis are calling his performance against the Seahawks his best all-around game ever as a Jaguars player.

That's a big claim as Bortles has had games where he's passed for 381 yards, where he's thrown five touchdown passes, where he finished with a passer rating of 134.5. All of his numbers in Sunday's game against the Seahawks fell short of the aforementioned figures as he passed for 268 yards, had two touchdown passes and finished with a rating of 123.7.

But it's the throws that Bortles made. The 75-yard bomb to Keelan Cole was such that Cole never broke stride. Same with the numerous throws that Bortles made to Marqise Lee and Dede Westbrook on crossing routes over the middle.

Bortles is playing at an extremely high level. He's playing in a manner that gives the Jaguars a chance to make a run, maybe a deep run in the playoffs. Head coach Doug Marrone is among his main supporters.

"He has done a nice job," Marrone said of his quarterback. "It is all out there to see. Everyone always watches the quarterback. What is interesting for me, we were watching the tape. We were in the staff meeting. I told them, 'You know what my favorite play was? When he was in the pocket, he stepped up and he turned his shoulder and stepped up with the football and protected the football stepping up.'

"Now that might be the (offensive) line coach in me doing that, but that to me is when you are starting to say, 'All the work we are doing -- the little things, the technique, the foot work and things of that nature, it is all looking very comfortable.' It is a comfortable movement for him. He knows, like we always say, now he has go out and do it again. He understands that and he has done a great job with those challenges."

Sunday's game was the fourth time this year that Bortles has not thrown an interception, nor was he sacked. That goes a long way in helping any quarterback post some impressive numbers. While some were calling it Bortles' best individual performance ever, he wasn't ready to go there. ... yet.

"I don't know. I have to watch (the tape)," he said. "I felt as though I put our offense in a chance to score points. Obviously, not turning the ball over is a big part of that. As long as we can do that, we'll go back and grade it.

"There will be plays that were bad that we have to get corrected, but there were a lot of plays made out there by the wide receivers, running backs and the offensive line that were pretty awesome."

NOTES: G Patrick Omameh returned to the starting lineup after missing the last 3 1/2 games due to a quadriceps injury. ... K Josh Lambo has converted on 16 of 17 field goals for the Jaguars since joining the team in Week 7. If Lambo makes eight more field goals without a miss, he would establish a franchise single-season record for accuracy (96 percent, based on minimum of 25 kicks). ... LB Telvin Smith missed his second straight game as he remained in the league's concussion protocol. Smith practiced in full Wednesday and Thursday last week, but then was out of Friday's practice. ... RB Chris Ivory's 34-yard run against Seattle was his longest run of the season, bettering the 19-yarder he had against Pittsburgh. ... WR Keelan Cole's 75-yard TD reception was the longest Jaguars pass play of the season. The previous long had been Cole's 52-yard catch-and-run in the first game against Indianapolis. ... DT Malik Jackson got his seventh sack of the season and has now posted a single-season career-high. That betters his previous best of 6.5 last year. ... DE Yannick Ngakoue recorded another sack, increasing his season total to 11.0. That's one shy of the previous team record of 12 set by Tony Brackens in 1999, but broken earlier this year by Calais Campbell who has 12.5. ... CB A.J. Bouye had two more interceptions on Sunday and now leads the team with a career-high six this season. His six interceptions are tied for the second-most in a season in franchise history and are tied for the most in the NFL this season.