The Sports Xchange

JACKSONVILLE — Blake Bortles lost to the oldest quarterback in the league last Sunday — Indianapolis backup Matt Hasselbeck.

Now, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback will face the youngest quarterback in the league in Jameis Winston of the Bucs, who won a national championship at Florida State so he’s no stranger to Jacksonville fans.

It’ll be an interesting matchup between the first quarterback taken in this year’s draft and the third taken in last year’s draft.

Both played their college football in Florida and both are expected to be franchise players who’ll turn around losing franchises.

It’s only the fifth start for Winston so it’s much too early to make any judgments on him. But Bortles will be making his 18th start – he’s 4-13 – and he understands what it takes to be a good quarterback even though he’s not there yet.

“As a quarterback in this league, there are times when you have to be able to will your team to victory,” he said. “I definitely need to improve – I’ll always need to improve. But there has been some growth and some improvement.”

Of his performance so far, he said, “Not good enough, obviously.”

When he was asked how he describes how a quarterback can will his team to victory, he said, “Just being able to put your team in a spot to win.”

“Whether you played bad all game -and you see it every week – somebody doesn’t play well the entire game, and at the end of the game they get a two-minute drill and an opportunity and they’re able to come through,” he said.

Of a quarterback willing his team to be win, offensive coordinator Greg Olson said, “I think that’s part of the position for any great player.”

“He strives to be great, he’s strives to be a great player,” Olson said. “That’s a very admirable quality to have in a quarterback, and that’s certainly one that you need in a winning organization. He has to feel that I will carry this team on my shoulders. It is coming. We’ve got to finish some games, but his starts have been impressive through four games.”

Bortles had two possessions in his first NFL overtime Sunday. The first one ended in a punt and the second one ended when Jason Myers missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt.

Although Bortles can’t do it alone, he misfired on two passes (one was batted down) before the punt and on a second-down pass before the missed field goal.

He also said he threw to the wrong receiver on third down from the Colts 2-yard line in the first quarter and they had to settle for a field goal.

He said he had tight end Marcedes Lewis open on a stick route and bypassed him and went to wide receiver Allen Hurns and it was incomplete.

“It’s little things like that,” he said, “Staying true to a read that you’ve been doing since (training) camp.”

It’s part of the growing pains of a young quarterback.

Bortles need to start paying dividends on the investment the Jaguars have made in him.

SERIES HISTORY: 6th regular-season meeting. Jaguars lead series, 4-1. The Jaguars have won the last four meetings since the Bucs won the first one, 17-16, when the Jaguars were a first-year expansion team. The Jaguars won the last game at home, 41-14, in 2011. Maurice Jones-Drew combined for 137 scrimmage yards (86 rushing and 51 receiving) and scored a career-high four touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving. The Jaguars’ 41 point total was their highest since they beat Oakland 49-11 in 2007.

GAME PLAN

The Jaguars hope to run rookie T.J. Yeldon against a Tampa Bay rush defense that ranks 30th in the league in rushing yardage allowed. Yeldon showed his potential in Indianapolis when he ran 22 times for 105 yards, including a 36-yarder. Toby Gerhart was the only other running back to get a carry and that was one carry for a loss of two yards right after his 36-yard run. The Jaguars appear ready to make Yeldon the focal point of their offense.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Jaguars CBs Aaron Colvin and Davon House vs. Bucs WRs Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans.

Jackson and Evans are both good targets who have combined for 29 catches, 19 by Jackson. They can burn the Jaguars corners, especially if Colvin isn’t at full speed with his shoulder injury.

–Jaguars RG A.J. Cann vs. Bucs DT Gerald McCoy.

Cann is a rookie making only his second start because Brandon Linder is out for the season and Cann could have problems containing McCoy.