Jaguars observations: Rookie QB Bortles takes over in ugly loss to Colts
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- While the Jacksonville Jaguars are at it, they might want to apply that same torch to any and all evidence of their dreadful first-half performance against the Indianapolis Colts.
Blake Bortles would have preferred not to make his NFL regular-season debut after his team had dug a 30-point hole for itself. But desperate times called for a measure which, while not smacking of desperation, would have at least given fans to stick around for the final two quarters on a sunny, 85-degree afternoon.
The third pick in this year's draft pumped some life into an offense which mustered only 55 total yards and two first downs under Chad Henne. Then again, there's only so much any quarterback can do with a line which started two rookies and a group of receivers missing its top tight end (Marcedes Lewis) and a wideout from whom much was expected (Marqise Lee).
"It was an uphill battle for me," Henne said after his demotion by coach Gus Bradley. "We both understood that. And if you're not winning, things are going to be changed. And I'm one of those cases."
Bear in mind the Colts were ranked 28th in total defense in the wake of their 0-2 start. While they appear to have gotten off the schneid, the many ills of the Jaguars don't show any signs of disappearing soon, Bortles or no Bortles.
Here are five takeaways and observations from the 44-17 loss:
1. As tempting as it is to blame Henne and the offense, the defense was horrible again.
In the chicken-vs.-egg conundrum of which came first, the bad offense or the bad defense, that question was answered when the Jaguars won the coin toss but elected to defer. The Colts kept the ball for more than five minutes to start the game, got a 48-yard field goal from the reliable-as-ever Adam Vinatieri, and never looked back.
A week after giving up 308 yards and 21 points in the first half at Washington, the defense was shredded for 330 yards as the Jaguars fell behind 30-0. Andrew Luck faced minimal pressure from a pass rush that has largely vanished since the first half of the opener at Philadelphia, and there were almost as many missed tackles as in the 41-10 drubbing by the Redskins.
"It feels like 10 guys are doing things right," Bradley said. "And then you have an opportunity for one guy to make a play, and he didn't make it."
What was also glaring was how disorganized the defense looked at times when the Colts were in the red zone. The Jaguars were forced to take a timeout early in the second quarter to try getting the right personnel on the field with the Colts at the 1. It didn't matter, as Luck hit tight end Dwayne Allen for a score on the next play.
2. The inability to stop completions to tight ends continues to be a sore spot.
Of Luck's 22 completions before halftime, nine of them went to tight ends. It would have been 10 had Coby Fleener, who was wide open in the end zone, dropped a pass which was right in his hands.
Until Fleener's drop, Luck had completed 13 passes in a row.
The return of safety Johnathan Cyprien made no difference in a secondary which gave up eight catches worth 99 yards a week earlier to Redskins backup tight end Niles Paul. Fleener, Allen and Jack Doyle all had success against a defense which never forced the Colts to punt until almost halfway through the third quarter and never recorded a takeaway.
Even with the loss of wide receiver T.Y. Hilton to an ankle injury in the first half, the Colts didn't miss a beat. Fleener, Allen and Doyle combined for 11 catches for 102 yards and touchdowns.
3. The return of Cecil Shorts III made no noticeable difference.
After missing the first two games with a hamstring injury, Shorts was supposed to give a lift to a group of receivers which had been forced to rely on three rookies – Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Although Shorts was targeted six times in the first three quarters, his only reception was for but six yards.
Hurns was almost invisible until he took a short pass from Bortles and, with the help of some shoddy tackling by the Colts, turned it into a 63-yard touchdown. Shorts had four receptions from Bortles in the fourth quarter, although most fans had left by the time of his 10-yard score with 18 seconds remaining.
Henne's longest completion was a 14-yarder in the final minute of the first half to Mike Brown, who then coughed up the ball. The Colts recovered Brown's fumble and tacked on another score moments later on Luck's 7-yard pass to Fleener.
4. Denard Robinson looks ready to take on an increased workload.
The only thing which could have qualified as eye-opening about the Jaguars' first drive was that it included a run by Robinson on second down. While he's no threat to move ahead of Toby Gerhart in the starting lineup, it's clear that the former Michigan quarterback will get more carries as the season progresses.
Robinson, who didn't have a single rushing attempt at Washington, finished with 33 yards on eight carries. Excluding a 13-yard run on the final play of the first half, Gerhart had 19 yards on eight carries.
The effect of two changes to the starting offensive line was minimal. The Jaguars had hoped to have tackle Austin Pasztor back for the first time after he fractured his right hand during the preseason, but he joined Lee among the seven players deactivated for the game.
5. Philip Rivers, you're up next.
Luck finished with 31 completions in 39 attempts for 370 yards and four touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 140.4. That came a week after Kirk Cousins, filling in for the injured Robert Griffin III, went 22 of 33 for 250 yards and a rating of 109.4 against the Jaguars.
Rivers was 22 of 26 in San Diego's 24-6 victory when the Chargers came to Jacksonville last October. And, yes, they have a tight end of considerable note in Antonio Gates.
Next up: Sunday at San Diego.
You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.
