Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tale of the tape

The quarterbacks

In one corner is Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, a quarterback meant to be entering the prime of his career at 30-years-old. Instead, it’s been a tough year for Ryan in a new system. Poor decisions, bad throws and turnovers have been consistent issues all season long.

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Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles has made some big improvements to his game in his second year, and could be the man to make the Jaguars regular playoff contenders in future years. Bortles played 14 games in his rookie campaign, throwing for 2,908 yards, 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. This season, he’s piled up 3,524 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Bortles isn’t the finished article just yet, but he’s made plenty of progress since his rookie campaign, which must excite head coach Gus Bradley. It’s no coincidence the Jaguars’ record has improved this year and they have been much more competitive in games.

The season has panned out differently for Ryan, and he needs to find his confidence and get back on track this week. The Jacksonville defense isn’t a dominant unit, so he will need to avoid poor decisions and turnovers to help Atlanta win the game.

The quarterback that plays the best will likely result in his team winning the game.

Next: The offenses