Jaguars' Bortles impressing coach after being renamed starting quarterback

Sometimes, you just gotta have faith.

After renaming Blake Bortles as the team's starting quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone believes he's being rewarded for his decision.

"I think he's doing a nice job," Marrone said Monday afternoon, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "I really do. For me, personally, it's the best I've seen him."

Marrone gave the start in Saturday's pivotal third preseason game to perceived backup Chad Henne, from whom Bortles initially took the starting job just two games into his 2014 rookie season.

But after dropping from 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2015 to 3,905 yards and just 23 touchdowns in 2016, Bortles had another disappointing training camp full of inaccuracy and inefficiency. It forced the Jaguars to re-evaluate their faith in the man they considered a franchise quarterback as recently as May, when they picked up his fifth-year option for the 2018 season.

Since being told his role won't be changing and having a 12-for-16 second half against the Carolina Panthers' second-team defense, Bortles has seemed re-invigorated in the eyes of his coach.

"I've seen him build upon his last performance," Marrone said. "I'm hoping to see that that carries over because he's actually done quite well."

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