Mumblings of The Village Idiot

Sweet Meat Joe the Candyman it feels good to be writing again! After and Asheville Spartan Race, five days in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, moving my daughter to College of Charleston, and then getting a sweet severance package from my previous employer, my attention can focus a bit more on this wonderful website, and this wonderful team.

And the Blake Bortles hate.

I guess we have to do this. Thanks to Twitter, and certain writers on Big Cat Country, the dialogue points to another year of wearing Blake Bortles hair shirts. Walking over Blake Bortles coals. Torturing ourselves via Blake Bortles waterboarding.

For anyone who attended camp as a kid, you know how a camp romance starts. At first, camp is uncomfortable. So many strangers, and you feel awkward. Then you see that someone who makes the week special. But when camp ends, the real world spills red wine on your white carpet. That’s where we are with Blake. The early training camp comfort we had with his consistency has vanished, and the seeds of discontent are beginning to show above the soil.

Too melodramatic?

MUMBLE 1

Surely you’ve read Ryan Day’s post-Falcons game evaluation of impact players. We thought Ryan had turned a corner in his hate for 5, but it was all an illusion. But first this. Consider the words of his evaluation after the Jaguars games against the New Orleans Saints. He wrote: “He did it. He converted me. He’s the guy.” Digest it. Ryan Day wrote that about Blake Bortles. This is the same guy, who before last year’s pre-season game in New England was quoted, “Blake Bortles is single-handedly holding this Jaguars team back.” I had three important takeaways from Ryan’s presumed change of heart. First, Bortles maturity within a system, along with his physical confidence, has softened even the hardest of critics. No argument other than production could do that. Second, what are the lot of you going to complain about (including me) if Ryan isn’t eviscerating Bortles? Lastly, I had fun cherry picking quotes from Ryan’s past articles. I could have easily picked something less dramatic.

Now Ryan is claiming both or Blake’s interceptions were bad throws. Let’s break them down. While one could argue Blake doesn’t see the underneath defender on the first pick, the throw goes to the inside of the defender, who has to make a very athletic play to tip the ball, allowing it to be intercepted. Bad throw or good defensive play? I see the latter. The second pick is even more problematic. See for yourself, and to answer Ryan’s question, it’s not hard to say. Westbrook quit, and furthermore it’s not a “God awful throw”.

I’m actually worried Ryan doesn’t know what a God awful throw looks like.

MUMBLE 2

What does worry me is the relationship between Blake and anyone who doesn’t have RB beside their name on the roster. Yes the passes to Marquise Lee and Donte Moncrief were good throws that, for the most part, led the receivers, but on the whole I did not see the chemistry between the QB and the receiving corps that afforded any elevated degree of confidence. Add the tight end position to the stew as well. Case in point, of the four players who hauled in more than three catches, only one was a wide receiver. Top targets? Donte Moncrief 5, Cory Grant 5, and T. J. Yeldon 4.

I need the QB/WR/TE positional relationship to be as sexy as $240 worth of pudding, and I’m just not seeing it.

MUMBLE 3

I don’t think some of you know what the word “sucks” means.

Let me help you. I’ll add examples to better clarify.

Slang

a. To be highly unpleasant or disagreeable: (Ryan Leaf)

b. To be of poor or inferior quality: (DeShone Kizer)

c. To be inept: (JaMarcus Russell)

The inverse seems to be true. If you say Bortles sucks, based on the definition of the slang usage of suck, then one might argue that you, in fact, suck.

MUMBLE 4

I didn’t count too many flutter balls from Blake. So there’s that. Still, Blake Bortles’ struggles are good business. Yardbarker captured the Twitter storyline.

MUMBLE 5

You know what does suck about Bortles? When he channels his inner Brett Favre. Take the sack man!

MUMBLE 6

If you think I don’t like Ryan, you’re wrong. If you don’t like Ryan, you’re wrong.

MUMBLE 7

I’m not going to debate how much of an impact losing Marqise Lee will be to the receiving corps. If you threatened me for an answer, I’d say it’s a loss, but not a significant one. That being said, you never want to lose someone whose been a part of the system.

And no one blames you Montae Kazee. You’re class.

And if you’re wondering what the status of Lee’s knee is, don’t expect good news.

MUMBLE 8

Looking forward to the opening game of the season against the New York Giants, I want to say how much I love you Kay Adams. You get it.

MUMBLE 9

And while we’re on Barkley, can everyone throttle back the love fest. Yeah, his first run from scrimmage was exciting. If I’m a New York Giants fan, the promise and hope are there. But the facts are this...4 rushes, 43 yards, long of 39. Sadly his hamstring injury didn’t give us more data for an informed decision, but maybe walk it back a bit.

And if you have to ask why you haven’t watched how dominant the Jaguars defense has been.

MUMBLE 10

The Giants will regret taking Barkley when Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold were on the board. Eli Manning is in for a miserable week one. Consider what the Jaguars defense have done this preseason, against much better quarterbacks.

MUMBLE 11

I’m proud of this tweet.

MUMBLE 12

Using Twitter for the power of evil. Look, can you imagine Dez Bryant playing in a run first offense, with a QB that isn’t anywhere near top 5 in the league? The word you’re looking for is toxic.

MUMBLE 13

Using Twitter for the power of good.

To close, I want to recognize the loss of a great statesman. You don’t have to agree with someone’s politics to appreciate their character. You’ll be missed John McCain.