Blake Bortles Replaces Chad Henne: Stats, Highlights and Reaction

Updates from Monday, Sept. 22

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Blake Bortles' status as the Jaguars starter after his debut on Sunday:

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Things were not looking good for the Jacksonville Jaguars at halftime, but Blake Bortles provided some signs that the future could be bright.    

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the rookie quarterback made his NFL debut in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts:

There were some ups and downs, but Bortles finished with 223 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. At the very least it was enough to earn another start next week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN:

On his first drive, Bortles completed just one of his first five passes for 21 yards, but it was hard to get worse than what Chad Henne displayed in the first half.

Grantland's Bill Barnwell notes the fans were excited for the switch:

Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus points out this goes against the team's original plans:

ESPN provided a look at his first completion:

A few plays later, Bortles scrambled for 14 yards but the play was called back for a hold. Still, J.P. Shadrick of Jaguars.com was impressed with the first few plays:

The drive ended with a punt, but Eugene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union noted the change in energy:

Things got better after the first drive as he was able to get his first career touchdown on a 63-yard pass to Allen Hurns, although it was not exactly in a big moment:

He threw a pick-six on his next possession, but recovered nicely for another touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the blowout loss. 

Bleacher Report's Collin McCollough was not too impressed with the performance:

Still, there were some signs of life from a team that otherwise struggled to do anything on offense.

While the Jaguars appear unlikely to contend this season, keeping Bortles in the game at least gives the franchise some hope for the future. The No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft looked good in the preseason and could be a better option than Henne, who has not done much to help the squad this season.

The question is whether he can improve enough in the coming weeks to make him a legitimate option at quarterback for Jacksonville.  

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