Heat is on Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles ahead of new campaign
Thursday 17 August 2017 12:02, UK
"I told our team, we haven't done anything on the field. I'm tired of people saying we have talent and we're a talented team. We have to find a way to win. That's what has to change."
That was the standout quote from day six of our NFL 8 in 8 trip as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone provided a firm reminder that a new regime is in place in north-east Florida.
The winds of change have blown former head coach Gus Bradley all the way across America where he is now serving as defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers. And the Jaguars now most definitely belong to Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin and Marrone.
There is a new vibe about the Jaguars as I discovered on a cloudy and occasionally rainy day in the sunshine state.
5 observations from Jaguars training camp…
The heat is most definitely on Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles as he prepares for his fourth season in the NFL. After impressing in 2015, Bortles regressed in 2016 as he threw 16 interceptions - fourth-most in the league. With an under-fire quarterback struggling for consistency, the Jags fans are watching his every preseason throw with interest. Bortles has reportedly bounced back nicely from throwing five interceptions in practice on Saturday but was mixed at best on Thursday. He did throw a nice touchdown pass down the middle of the field to tight end Marcedes Lewis but also got picked off by Tashaun Gipson on a strike that was well covered but also a little behind wide receiver Allen Robinson.
Marrone made a point of needing to win the turnover battle in order for Jacksonville to enjoy more success in 2017. And it was clear from all his years in the NFL that Coughlin hated turnovers with a passion. That would explain why practice was called to halt one play after Bortles threw his pick. Backup quarterback Chad Henne entered the game, threw a pass way behind tight end Ben Koyack and was intercepted by Brian Dixon, who returned it to the house. These are the kind of errors that the Jags have to eradicate from their game if they are to compete this season. And I'm sure that was the message being delivered by Marrone and Coughlin during that little break in the action.
While there were some plays that were worrying from an offensive point of view during Thursday's practice, that is good news for a defense that has been further boosted with the offseason additions of defensive lineman Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Buoye and safety Barry Church. As well as those interceptions and several pass breakups, Dante Fowler Jr. turned heads with some nice moves that resulted in him getting into the backfield for what would have been a sack.
There were only glimpses of fourth overall draft pick Leonard Fournette on Thursday but this defensive end-sized running back is going to have a big season, in my opinion. He bulled his way into the end zone on one goal line drill, showing he is going to boast the power to survive and thrive in the big leagues. As Calais Campbell and Malik Jackson told me, Fournette is going to be tough to bring down in 2017 and is a special talent worth a great deal of our attention.
As a matter of course, I chat with every player I interview while they are being mic'd up and before we start recording. It's the normal 'How's camp going?' kind of thing. To a man, the Jaguars said this was the toughest camp they had ever been involved in and that they were all feeling tired. But they also said Coughlin and Marrone's approach will make them more battle-hardened and more likely to win. There was an old-school feel to Jaguars camp today with lots of competition rounded off by good, old-fashioned wind sprints across the field for the entire team. For now, the players are buying in with the hope that the wins will come. If they have to operate in that tough environment with the losses mounting up, that could be another matter altogether.
The time for this team to start winning is now
A.J. Buoye is… a trash talker. This confident cornerback who joined the Jags as a big free-agent signing in the offseason doesn't go personal and go after an opponent's family members. But he will pick apart an opposing receiver's game and definitely tells him how sorry a player he is! As he prepares for his first season in Jacksonville, Buoye is set to form one of the best young cornerback tandems in the NFL opposite Jalen Ramsey. Both will be active, talkative and fun to watch.
Quote of the Day…
"I knew this new regime was going to be tough but I knew it was going to make me better as a player. It has been totally different. You have to be early to meetings and locked in all the time. We try to get to meetings not five minutes early but 10 minutes early." A.J. Buoye proving that Coughlin Time is alive and well in Jacksonville.
Quote of the Day II…
"I became very good at darts because we would play all the time. The pub we went to had unbelievable Shepherd's Pie and it has never been the same when I have tried to have that meal in the United States." - Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone fondly recalling his time living in England when he was an offensive lineman with the London Monarchs in the early 1990s.
Quote of the Day III…
"Let's do our closing link by that big panther." - Cameraman Simon Gunby either a) momentarily forgetting we were visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars or b) not knowing one big cat from the other!
Everyone in Jacksonville has grown tired of talking about how good this team can be on paper. And I'm not talking about the fans - that is the feeling of the coaching staff and the players. The time for this team to start winning is now. And that puts Bortles firmly on the hot seat because he can no longer be the player who holds this team back. I spoke to a few team insiders on Thursday who described this season as "huge" for Bortles. He has to prove his worth or the Jags could move him on. He has the talent and the desire to succeed - and the Jags are in a tight division that is there for the taking. But this is all just talk and speculation. Marrone and Coughlin want no more of that chatter - they want wins!
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The regular season of home and away matches run from September to December 2017, culminating in PlayOffs from January 6, 2018 and the Super Bowl on February 4, 2018 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota to determine the world champion
