Bortles Gets Shot with Starters for Jaguars vs. Lions
By Charles Jay
Has Blake Bortles become the starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars?
Not yet.
But Bortles is going to get some time with the starting unit on Friday night when the Jags go up against the Detroit Lions in football betting action that is set to begin at 7:30 PM ET at Ford Field.
Chad Henne will get the starting assignment, and he was projected to be the starter when the season begins. But coach Gus Bradley would like to take a look at what Bortles can do when he has the first unit.
The Lions, who brought a new coach aboard this season (Jim Caldwell), have been involved with a couple of one-point games in the pre-season. They beat Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns 13-12, then lost 27-26 to the Oakland Raiders. The Jags were successful in the opener against Tampa Bay (16-10) and followed that with a squeaker of their own, as they got by Chicago by a 20-19 score.
In the NFL betting odds that have been established on this game by the folks at VietBet, the Lions are favored:
Detroit Lions -3 (-115)
Jacksonville Jaguars +3 (-105)
Over 44.5 Points -110
Under 44.5 Points -110
The way it is probably going to work, Bortles, who threw for 160 yards last week, will step in after Henne plays a little more than a quarter. He will go about a quarter himself, which means that the Jags will have the lion’s share (pardon the pun) of their offensive unit on the field into the third period.
Bortles, the third pick in the draft, has classic size for a quarterback (6’5″, 230) and he is unquestionably the signal-caller of Jacksonville’s future. But VietBet customers know that the staff is in no mood to rush him. Henne was retained so that he could keep the seat warm until Bortles was absolutely ready to enter the lineup. How long that takes is going to depend on Henne’s level of play.
Matthew Stafford, who has been one of the more productive quarterbacks in the league from the standpoint of yardage, is working with a new staff this season, which also includes offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. There are new receivers who will likely be part of the starting picture as well (Golden Tate, Eric Ebron). He was extremely effective against Oakland, completing nine of his ten passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Whenever new coaches get together with their quarterbacks, there is talk about how energetic or eager the QB is under the new regime. No difference here. But VietBet patrons know that Caldwell, in preparation for his job interview, reviewed each and every passing play Stafford had during the 2013 season. So there is no doubt he is looking to make this a pet project. Stafford threw for 4650 yards last year, and that comes after over 10,000 yards in the previous two years, but he had the 31st-best quarterback rating in the league in the second half of the season.
The Lions know that is going to have to change.
The season is drawing near, and you can get off to a great head start by opening up an account at VietBet today, where you can take advantage of reduced juice all year long!
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