Jaguars free Blake Bortles, season can finally start

"I don't think that the Jaguars will win today, but the Colts aren't that good. I don't think they'll blow them out," I said to someone at the tailgate Sunday morning before heading to the stadium.

"If Chad Henne trots back out here after halftime, I'm just gonna bounce and watch the rest of the game at Matt's house, this is stupid," I said to my friends during halftime.

Then the stadium erupted.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally put their No. 3 overall pick in the game and it seemed to make a massive difference. In the first half of the game, the Jaguars offense picked up a grand total of 76 yards on six drives. The first four drives of the game resulted in four straight punts, but that changed in the first half.

The offense seemed like it had some life. The first Blake Bortles drive ended in a punt, but it also lasted eight plays and included three plays of 10+ yards, albeit one was a Bortles scramble for a first down called back by a penalty. Suddenly the team seemed as if they could pass block just a bit better, seemed like the could run the ball a bit more effectively.

"I think it lifted everybody up. I think that sometimes it’s like having a good punt returner on punt return," Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said after the game. "When you have that all of a sudden the blocks are held a little bit longer and plays just happen. I think that’s what Blake did. When he came in there things fell into place a little bit better and guys were making plays. Sometimes that happens with a guy that goes in there, regardless of the situation. Blake has done that in preseason and it was good to see that today. We’ve just got to tighten up some of the decisions."

It certainly wasn't perfect and it came with the other team having a 30 point cushion, but it still happened.

The offense looked like it came alive. Things happened. They looked effective. They made big plays.

They outscored the Colts 17-14 in the second half.

It doesn't really mean much, but it also means a lot.

The clock has started.