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How much of a difference does Blake Bortles make?

The switch to Blake Bortles at quarterback shows up big time in the raw numbers on offense.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles had his first career NFL start on Sunday in the 33-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers. For the most part, Bortles did a nice job. He did have two turnovers and make some risky throws, but the offense moved the ball more consistently than it had all season.

In face, in the six quarters Bortles has played this season, the Jaguars offense has looked markedly different than with Chad Henne and the numbers seem to back that  up more than you would think.

Stat Blake Bortles Chad Henne
Quarters 6 10
Points For 31 27
Points Against 47 105
Passing Yards 476 492
Rushing Yards 157 122
Third Down % 12/20 (60%) 6/31 (19%)
3-and-outs 3 13
First Downs 38 26

The offensive game plan overall didn't really seem to change much from how it was run with Henne at the helm. The difference seemed to be the triggerman actually posed a threat both running the football and pushing the football down field, so early on the Chargers couldn't stack the box like teams were doing in the past.

As the season goes on, the offense should open up more, but after just six quarters of action the difference is drastic.