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Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com

Blake Bortles - Wednesday, October 17, 2018

(On if today felt like training camp practice and back to basics) "Yes, definitely. I think [Head Coach] Doug [Marrone] and the coaches did a good job of pushing us and making sure we are getting the quality work that we need to get done at this point in the week to be ready to go on Sundays. It is all part of our weekly preparation and Coach Marrone felt as those we needed to push that a little bit and that is what we did today. I thought it went well. I thought we got a lot of good reps in. It is obviously hotter as you know, so that's the camp feel of running that many reps in the heat and doing all of that. It was good. I thought the guys looked good. I thought everybody ran around and, for the most part, was in the right places they needed to be. If they weren't, we got it corrected and went through it again."

(On if this week has a heightened sense of urgency) "I think every time you play a division game, regardless of what the situation or the surroundings are, I think it's a little heightened. Each game in the NFL on a weekly basis … All of them feel big is what I'm trying to say. When you play a division game, you're definitely that much more tuned in, I think. We have talked about wanting to win the Super Bowl and the best way to do that is by winning your division first off. Those games definitely require the utmost attention to detail and execution in everything that we do starting really today in practice. I think we are off to a good start on that."

(On how much he feels he needs to take on an added burden personally because of struggles over the past few weeks) "Like you said, that's exactly what it is. It has not been what we wanted or what we expected or planned for. Everybody knows that. You learn from it, you put it in the past and you move on. You have to find a way to get back on track and get back to playing like we did against the Jets or against New England or late last year. That is all we are focusing on – getting back to playing the kind of football and the execution level that we know we can do."

(On the turnover differential being poor) "We're definitely not helping ourselves out by any means, but we're also not getting any bounces right now and that is part of it. Dak [Prescott] has two balls bounce right up to his stomach, and we have a guy [on the Cowboys] scoop a ball on the sidelines as it's rolling out of bounds. Defensive guys don't ever do that. They kind of just kick it out of bounds. We are getting unlucky. Not only are we not helping ourselves, but we are also getting some bad bounces, and that is part of it. The things will turn. We will start creating our own good fortune, and I think with that we will start getting some breaks and some bounces will go our way as well."

(On if it felt like if he fumbled on Sunday, it would have bounced right to a Cowboys defender) "Yes, probably. The way things have been going for us, I would have kicked one right into [Demarcus] Lawrence's chest or something. We have to obviously control what we can control as far as the turnovers are concerned because I think the underlying tone of why we are 3-3 is that differential and the difference between last year and this year in that category. I think we are last in the league, so we have to fix that and be better at it."

(On if the QB has to elevate his play when the team is dealing with a lot of injuries) "The quarterback, in general, has to be the guy that brings everyone together whether everyone is healthy and 100 percent and you are facilitating the ball and getting [the offense] in the right runs or guys are hurt and down and you have to start making plays. As a quarterback, you have to be able to balance your role as far as completions and run checks and making plays, but as far as the risk meter of is this a good opportunity to take a shot or is this one where you are checking down and making sure we don't turn the ball over? I think that is the biggest thing – playing within the offense, playing within the scheme and taking shots when we get the opportunity and making sure above everything that I am taking care of the football."

(On how scoring early in the game is important) "I think it is huge. I think it is something we need to do. It has been a thing since I have been in Jacksonville. There have been years where we have been really good on the opening possession and there have been years where we have been really bad on it. You love to be able to say, heaven forbid you don't go score on the first drive, it is no big deal because you are still going to find a way to score 28-35 points. It is kind of correlated to whereas if we haven't started fast we haven't started at all. We definitely have to fix that and make sure that is not who we are as an offense. If we get off to a slow start [we have] to turn it around, but our goal is to always start fast and go score on that first possession."

(On his personal burden to get back to winning ways) "I don't think it is any extra pressure or a burden. I take a lot of pride in being the quarterback of this team and wanting everyone on this team to know that I am doing anything I can to get it turned around. We are, as a whole, as a group, as an offense, as a defense and as a special teams unit are doing everything we can to heighten their level and no one needs to do anything crazy or go play as someone they are not. We see it every day. All we have to do is what we do on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and translate that into Sunday. We will be just fine. We will get it figured out."

(On if anyone on the offense feels that having Leonard Fournette will solve all the offense's issues) "I don't know. There might be or there might not be. I have no idea. Anytime you get Leonard or whether it be someone else of his stature and as good of a football player as he is will improve your team when is dressed and playing. There is no doubt about that. We have to continue to find ways to win and put up points and yards without him not out there because we do not know when he is coming back. When he is back, he will no doubt make us better."

(On if Fournette's absence has made it difficult to find their physical mentality) "We have talked about it before as far as the versatility and some of the injuries like you talked about have forced our hand as far as the personnel we can be in and the plays we can run. There is some stuff we can't do that we did last year because of injuries. We have to do different things. We are going to take the same mentality and mindset about how we want to approach the game and the team we want to be, but we have to do it in different ways and find different ways to be efficient and pick up yards."

(On if he can remember any games in his football career being shut out in the first half two straight games) "That is not good football. No. We have to fix that. Score early. Score often."

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