Blake Bortles hasn’t won much as an NFL player. He isn’t likely to win this one, either.
Bortles reacted to fans’ questioning the play-calling of the Jags by dismissing the criticism. “It’s like a kindergartner saying something to a college kid,” Bortles said.
In a way, Bortles has a point. Coaches spend all week developing a game plan, and quarterbacks study their entire lives to make it to the NFL. But Bortles can’t win in what is sure to be a criticism of the fans.
Besides, are the Jags doing a good job with the play-calling? After all, they’ve won only nine games in the last three seasons, so it doesn’t seem as if they’re passing secret formulas around. And while a lot of scouts still think highly of Bortles, he’s only 3-11 as a starting quarterback. Hardly Mensa stuff.
To understand the criticism better, one would have to know what level of questioning the play-calling is getting. Are people saying that the Jags don’t block the weakside trap properly? In such a case, they’re probably in over their heads. But if they say the team, say, doesn’t run the ball enough or seems confused near the goal line, that seems fair.
This much is sure. You accept the cheers from a fan, then you accept the criticism. That’s the way it works. And the Jaguars certainly have some second-guessing coming. It’s silly to suggest that only players in the NFL can criticize players in the NFL.
Besides, some of those Kindergarten kids are pretty sharp.
