The Jaguars don't need no help. They're sabotaging themselves -- and their playoff chances -- all by themselves. 

Despite featuring a playoff-caliber defense and receiving corps, despite drafting a top-tier running back, and despite residing in the lowly AFC South, the Jaguars aren't a playoff threat. They're more likely to wind up with the top pick in the draft than sniff the postseason. For that, they can only blame themselves after they refused to bring in outside competition for Blake Bortles, the worst starting quarterback in football.

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At this point in his career, Bortles has been the definition of a bust. Still, the Jaguars haven't seen enough. Instead of signing an upgrade like Colin Kaepernick or Jay Cutler, they gave Bortles another chance he doesn't deserve. They even picked up his fifth-year option, though that doesn't mean they have to keep him through next season. 

Enough about the decision to hand Bortles the keys to the offense yet again, because it's already been made. It's not worth looking at it any longer. The Jaguars have made their bed and now they have to fall asleep in it.

But all isn't necessarily lost, because there's a chance the Bortles of the last few years isn't the same one that shows up on the field in 2017. It's worth examining how -- and most importantly, if -- Bortles can salvage his career and save his team from another disappointing finish.

His flaws

First, it's worth contextualizing just how bad Bortles has been since he entered the league. Since he came into the NFL three seasons ago, he's completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 11,241 yards, 69 touchdowns, 51 interceptions, and a 79.6 passer rating. In that span, he ranks 45th in completion percentage, 45th in yards per attempt, 28th in touchdown percentage, 43rd in interception percentage and 41st in passer rating (minimum 200 pass attempts). 

It's worth examining why his stats are so depressing. Bortles' biggest issues are related to his decision-making and accuracy. There's a reason why every offseason we hear about Bortles fixing his mechanics.

Here's what NFL.com reported in 2015:

To that end he has worked with new offensive coordinator Greg Olson and sports biomechanics guru Tom House this offseason.

"To me, it's a big difference," Bortles said Tuesday, of his altered mechanics. "To the guys that I worked with it's a big difference. It's just more efficient. It's better."

Here's what Gus Bradley said in 2015, per the Florida Times-Union:

"We're really excited about him. I know there are some things he needs to work on and the growth that will take place from this year to next year, we're all excited about. It's great that he ended up playing [as many games as] he did. I think his mindset now is, 'What can I do to get better?' I know he has to understand defenses better but also his mechanics, he's really diving into that this off-season. I just sense from him that he's a guy that wants to take the next step and when he has confidence like that and it builds through the off-season, I think he's going to take another step."

And here's what Bortles said this offseason about working with Tom House again, via the Jaguars' website:

"I've really enjoyed the time I've spent out there," Bortles said. "I think it's really been beneficial. I feel really good as far as where I'm at mechanically and how the ball's coming out and how it's spinning and all that. I think it's been good."

At this point, talking about Bortles' supposedly fixed mechanics is just offseason bingo. It's the equivalent of a player bragging about being in the best shape of his career, in the sense that it doesn't matter. As soon as the live-action begins, Bortles always reverts back to his original, cruddy mechanics. 

So, what's wrong with his mechanics? I'll let Bortles explain, as he did to the team's website in March:

"The first thing we focused on was, probably what everybody would guess … just trying to tighten up the release, make that as quick as possible," Bortles said.

Bortles said that entailed never letting his right wrist get below the elbow while throwing, and "trying to keep that parallel and not dropping down."

"That was probably the main focus and then just a couple tweaks here and there in different things," he said.

And here's what that looks like:

As you can see, Bortles goes through a lengthy windup -- almost like a baseball pitcher -- every time he throws the ball. He needs to move to the stretch because that lengthy windup of his isn't doing him any favors. If a defensive lineman can identify where a quarterback is going to throw well before the release of the football, he can get his hands up to block the passing lane. According to Pro Football Focus, Bortles led the league in batted passes last year with 20.

As for his decision-making -- well, it's not great. That's one reason why he's thrown the second-most interceptions since he entered the league. Another reason is his accuracy. According to PFF, he ranked 24th in adjusted completion percentage, which takes into account incomplete passes that shouldn't be counted against a quarterback -- like spikes, throwaways, and dropped passes.  

He's a horrible deep-ball passer, despite the fact that he has the luxury of throwing the ball to Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. According to PFF, he posted the league's worst passer rating on throws at least 20 yards downfield -- largely because he accumulated one touchdown and seven picks on those types of passes. 

Bortles' passer rating last year on those passes? 17.5.  In second-to-last place was Brock Osweiler. His passer rating was 46.9 -- or 29.4 points higher than that of Bortles, which means the difference between Bortles and Osweiler's passer ratings was a higher figure than Bortles' actual passer rating. 

Moving on, let's take a look at his passing map, because there really isn't an area that he thrives in:

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Pro Football Focus

Finally, it's worth noting how bad Bortles is at navigating the pocket. The Jaguars' offensive line wasn't bad last year, ranking ninth in pass protection, per Football Outsiders. But according to Cian Fahey of PreSnapReads.com, "Bortles ranked 27th in avoidable sack percentage. He was responsible for more than three of every 10 sacks he took."

So no, he hasn't been a starting-caliber quarterback. For as much crap as teams like the Ravens and Broncos get for employing terrible quarterbacks and refusing to sign Colin Kaepernick, the Jaguars deserve even more crap. Bortles is the league's worst starting quarterback, and he's still being guaranteed a starting job.

Improved supporting cast will help

Don't worry, Jaguars fans. This story is going to get a tad more optimistic. Now that we've run through his flaws, let's run through the ways the Jaguars can fix them. 

OK, fix is probably the wrong word. At this point, Bortles is likely never going to completely fix any of his issues like his mechanics and decision-making. Minimize is the better word. How can the Jaguars and Bortles minimize his flaws in 2017 so that it doesn't ruin their season? How can Bortles overcome his flaws to save his career?

The most obvious way it to minimize his role, which might be tough considering he plays quarterback and is therefore required to touch the ball on every single snap, but it's possible. All evidence points toward the Jaguars adopting a run-heavy approach in 2017. Since he entered the league, Bortles has racked up the seventh-most passing attempts, throwing the ball four more times than Aaron Rodgers in that span. Part of that has to do with the Jaguars' state of affairs (bad). There's reason to believe, though, that the Jaguars will take a massive step forward.

Their defense is good! Or at least it has the potential to be good, which is the result of committing countless resources to building a dominant unit. The Jaguars drafted Dante Fowler No. 3 overall in 2015 and he had four sacks in his first season on the field last year. They signed Malik Jackson away from Denver last offseason and he responded with a 6.5-sack season. Then they went out and added Calais Campbell this year. In Arizona last year, Campbell had eight sacks. Linebacker Myles Jack, a second-round pick last year, should've been a first rounder if not for long-term injury concerns. Paul Posluszny is still around. Telvin Smith rounds out the linebacker corps and he's a dependable option against the run.

The Jaguars' secondary has the potential to be one of the best units in the league. Jalen Ramsey, after getting picked in the first round, had two picks last year. A.J. Bouye is a newcomer this year. He's better than Ramsey. Two solid safeties in Tashaun Gipson and Barry Church will protect the back-end.

This is a potentially elite defense:

So, if the Jaguars' defense can play up to its potential, the Jaguars won't be playing from behind nearly as much, and they won't be forced to frequently air the football out. They'll be able to lean on their running game and, in effect, take the heavy lifting off Bortles' shoulders. 

It's a good thing then that the Jaguars spent the No. 4 overall pick in this year's draft on a running back, Leonard Fournette. They'll be hoping he pulls a Zeke in his rookie season. In the lead-up to the draft, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared him to Bo Jackson. 

And when Bortles does drop back to pass, he should be better protected. Having an improved running game will help slow down opposing pass rushers. So will their new left tackle, Cam Robinson, who the Jaguars selected in the second round. Robinson, who played at Alabama, was one of the most accomplished offensive tackle's in this year's draft.

So the supporting cast around Bortles will be improved. The Jaguars should, in theory, hold the lead more often. That should help take some of the pressure off him. In Bortles' career, he's thrown 1,710 passes. Of those passes, 1,200 of them -- or 70 percent -- have occurred when the Jaguars have been trailing. He's thrown just 231 passes when ahead in a game. 

The passing gameplan

Eventually, Bortles will have to throw the ball. The Jaguars can't win by running the ball 80 times a game. Here's how they should approach the passing game.

For starter, they need to reign him in, much like how Adam Gase reigned in Jay Cutler two years ago and how Jim Bob Cooter reigned in Matthew Stafford the past two years.

Limit his reads so that he isn't forced to make as many of them. That should help with his decision-making.

Limit his time in the pocket with quick passes so that he can't be given a chance to run into sacks. According to PFF, Bortles posted a 49.7 passer rating when under pressure -- the fifth-worst in football. Getting the ball out quickly can alleviate those concerns.

It'll also limit his chances to throw the ball deep. According to PFF, Bortles posted the league's worst passer rating (59.8) when he was given 2.6 seconds or more to throw the ball. His passer rating rose to 89.8 when he released the football in fewer than 2.6 seconds. Remember how bad he was on the deep ball? Despite his struggles in that area, he attempted the 10th most deep passes last year, per PFF.  That number needs to go down.

The Jaguars should also take advantage of their running game by utilizing play-action.  All of this will limit the number of reads he's required to make and make his throws easier.

If there's one area Bortles was mediocre in last year, it was within 0-19 yards of the line of scrimmage.

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Pro Football Focus

Stretching the field is important, but when a quarterback is as bad of a deep ball passer as Bortles, it's important to shrink the field and, as a result, shrink his responsibilities.

The Jaguars need to turn Bortles into a game-manager. If the defense plays up to its potential, punting won't be a bad outcome. Play defense and solid special teams, pound the rock, and win low-scoring games. That's how the Jaguars can have a successful run in 2017. 

But if it doesn't happen ...

The good news for the Jaguars is that their defensive core is young. So is their offensive core. If Bortles doesn't improve, they'll likely earn another high pick in a draft that features one of the best quarterback classes ever. Then they can draft their next quarterback. At that point, a quarterback-friendly system -- one that relies on the ground game and a top-notch defense, as described above -- should be in place for the next rookie.

And then they can move on from Bortles for free by cutting him. Though Bortles is under contract through 2018, he can be cut at zero cost assuming he doesn't get hurt (the fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only). If that happens, Bortles will take his place alongside Blaine Gabbert as one of the Jaguars' biggest draft busts of all time.

That's why this year is the most important of Bortles' career. It's his final chance to prove he has a future in Jacksonville. At the very least, he needs to prove that he has a future in the league by showing the other 31 teams that he can be a backup in the years to come.

It won't be easy, and it might not seem likely, but hey, this is the same league that once saw Tim Tebow win a playoff game. If that can happen, anything can.