Blake Bortles and Andy Dalton switched roles on Sunday in an incredible reversal of fortune that may have exposed what both players really are made of. Blake Bortles became the franchise quarterback that the Jags thought he would be, and Andy Dalton looked like the guy who had to be given an incentive-laden contract to protect the franchise. Is this what these men are, or did we see their best and worst respectively? There are a number of different people who want to anoint Blake and trade Andy, but we should probably fall somewhere in the middle.
Why Blake?
Blake Bortles looked good because Doug Marrone and the Jags staff figured out how to make him a better player. They implemented an offense that was worth using, and it produced a lot of results that could not be created under the previous regime. The Jaguars have been given a gift in a new quarterback that can easily play in a new offense. He will return to earth to ensure that the law of averages is maintained, but he will still look much better than he looked in the past.
Why Andy?
Andy Dalton looked as bad as you can look, but he is not that bad. He is a good player who had a really bad day. Is he clutch? No, he probably is not, but he should not be cut because he is not going to the playoffs and winning games.
If the Bengals want to do something about that, they can fire Marvin Lewis and see what happens. They seem to have all the right pieces, and they must use those pieces properly.
Who is the better player?
Blake Bortles probably has more potential, but Andy Dalton is likely a little bit more solid at the moment. It will be interesting to see the point at which Blake Bortles is much better than Andy Dalton, and that will be the moment that the Jags become a more viable contender to make the playoffs than the Bengals.
The Bengals are not terrible, but they may be on the way out while the Jags are on the way in.
The two teams must stay the course
The Bengals cannot change everything just because the they had one bad game. The Jaguars need to be sure that they are doing the same things they did last week, and they must ensure that they have given him the chance to continue running the offense in a way that will be productive for the rest of the season.
The Jaguars are sure to continue improving, and they could be that much better when Allen Robinson comes back next year. Meanwhile, the Bengals will be on a new coach that needs to break in Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon, and AJ Green.
