Blake Bortles' Mixed-Bag Performance Shows Both Progress and Errors for Young QB

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has shown a lot of improvement this season, but it sadly hasn't translated to wins. His latest performance illustrated that improvement, but it also proved the sophomore QB has work to do.

This has been apparent each week, but his game against the Houston Texans may be a perfect example of what level of play he is at and how he should be coached by head coach Gus Bradley and offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

Bortles threw 53 times on Sunday, completing 30 passes for a total 303 yards, three touchdowns and three picks. Obviously there was some good, but the three picks are his highest of the season, albeit at least one wasn't completely his fault.

The UCF product being called to throw 53 times, and probably more considering he had four rushes for 37 yards, is the major issue of his entire stat line. The offense was supposed to be a "run-first" squad, but the absence of running back T.J. Yeldon and fighting to stay in the game forced a high number of attempts.

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Bortles is playing at a solid level, and he will continue to improve, but he's likely never going to be a guy you want throwing more than 40 times a game. His accuracy is not his strongest attribute, and you have to rely on him to be accurate with a high number of throws.

Bortles will make mistakes like his low pass to tight end Julius Thomas at the end of the half. Bortles has been working to improve his red-zone impact, and in trying to find a big target like Thomas, he threw a confusing low ball instead of playing to Thomas' size.

These kinds of turnovers will be a part of his game for a good while to come, and he won't likely be a QB who makes the right decision every time. While this mistake was in the first half, it was already his 25th throw, putting him on pace for 50 throws even before the second half.

His other two picks came on a miscommunication with Thomas and a forced ball to wide receiver Allen Hurns down two scores late. Both weren't great throws in the first place, but they're more likely to happen when Bortles throws an extensive amount.

	# of Games	Yards	Completion Percentage	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Rating
Games with Over 40+ Throws	3	702	55.8	5	5	68.5
Games with Under 40 Throws	3	818	58.5	8	2	103.6

As seen in the table above, when Bortles throws 40 or more times, his overall play drops and he is less efficient than when he throws less. He still makes mistakes, but they are better contained and he is less likely to have multiple mistakes.

His mistakes over the past couple weeks have been important ones, but they obviously haven't been the primary cause of Jaguars losses like QB play has in the past. His high-volume performances have been the key reason why the Jaguars are scoring more points.

But, as mentioned, they have not translated to wins. For whatever reason, the Jaguars can't take advantage of Bortles' improved play and put in overall performances that earn good results.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

With an uneasy outlook on the rest of the season, the Jaguars need to find a way to run a consistent offense that doesn't have Bortles throwing more than 40 times a game. He plays better, and the offense has better overall balance.

This needs to be matched by more efficient performances from the rest of the team, of course, but the Jaguars have finally found a QB who could be considered worthy of the "franchise" tag. Forcing him into uncomfortable situations won't allow that growth and will rather harm his progress.

The wins may not be coming in at the moment, and Bradley and his staff may not be in Jacksonville for the long term, but setting Bortles up for success will only make the apparently incredible task of winning easier going forward.

What do you think? Comment below and answer the poll!

All stats provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.

Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.