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Jacksonville Jaguars still contemplating starting QB

By The Sports Xchange
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles calls out a play in a game against the New York Jets. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles calls out a play in a game against the New York Jets. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone needs more time before naming his starting quarterback for the season opener.

The competition between Blake Bortles and Chad Henne will continue into the preseason finale next week after neither quarterback did enough to win the job in the Jaguars' 24-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Field on Thursday night.

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"I'm sure both quarterbacks would have liked to have done a better job, but offensively I think everyone needs to do a better job," Marrone said after the third preseason game. "Like I said to you guys earlier in the week, I'm not going to stand up here and comment a lot on the two. I'm going to go back and look at things and see where we're at.

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"I think offensively we didn't help ourselves. We weren't in manageable situations, whether it be through sacks, too many tackles for loss in the run game. I think that's difficult on whoever's playing quarterback."

Neither quarterback was able to convince Marrone that his performance was solid enough to earn the starting job for the season opener against the Houston Texans on Sept. 10.

Henne got the start Thursday night and completed 8 of 14 passes for 73 yards in the first half against Carolina's first-team defense. He led the Jaguars to a touchdown and a field goal in five possessions, and also was sacked three times.

Bortles was 12 of 16 for 125 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. He also threw an interception that was returned 48 yards and set up a touchdown in the third quarter.

"I've got to do the best job for the organization and best job for the team," Marrone said. "I'm not going to put that pressure on myself to say, 'Hey, listen, I need to do this (quickly).' I've got time. Again obviously you'd like to make the decision quickly, but you want to make sure you make the right decision. That's the most important thing."

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Bortles, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft and the team's starter since Week 4 of his rookie season, struggled in his previous preseason outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that essentially opened up the starting job.

Bortles, who did not take his first snap until the Jaguars' first possession of the third quarter, said he was satisfied with his effort coming off the bench.

"I think you can roll over and lay down or you can just keep working and grinding and try to earn that spot back,'' Bortles told reporters after the game. '"Those are the two options and you pick one and go. I knew I going to get an opportunity to play on Thursday night and that's where I was going to have a chance to show what I've been doing and what I can do.

"We both know that whoever ends up being the starting quarterback, if that's what's best for the team then I think we're both happy about it."

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