Jaguars' Bortles says he's not scared to make mistakes

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has come under scrutiny for a series of poor performances this season.

Bortles was benched during Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans with Cody Kessler taking his place. After mulling over his options, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone reinstated Bortles as the starter for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

With mounting criticism being levied against him, Bortles says he'll continue to play the only way he knows how.

"You've just got to go play. I don't think you can worry about it," Bortles said via ESPN's Michael DiRocco. "You can't play the position and play the game constantly worrying about, 'What happens if I make a mistake?'

"I've always kind of played fearless and not scared to make the mistake. I think that's allowed me to make some plays, but in saying that, I've got to also be smart and obviously take calculated risks and make sure whatever I'm doing is putting us in position to score."

Bortles has completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,735 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions as the Jaguars have stumbled to a 3-4 record.

Although Bortles has already been pulled this season, he's not overly concerned with the outside noise as he's tasked with turning the season around.

"There's been pressure it seems like since I got to Jacksonville, so it's kind of normal," Bortles said. "I think there's pressure at every position at all times in the NFL. If you're not getting the job done or playing well or being successful they'll eventually replace you and find somebody else that can."

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