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Charlie Taaffe watched Blake Bortles play well enough to justify being the third overall pick in the draft. Now that Bortles is struggling and seems on the verge of losing his job and perhaps his roster spot, Taaffe does not think the problem is a physical.

The former offensive coordinator at Central Florida during Bortles’ time there, who now runs a private quarterback tutoring business, said he thinks the mental strain is showing in the Jaguars quarterback.

“I think his issue at this stage is more that six inches between his ears than anything,” Taaffe said, via Chris Burke of TheMMQB.com. “I think it’s a mental thing now. …

“You read all the negativity, you hear all that, after awhile—you’re only human—it gets to you. . . . I don’t think it’s so much of a physical thing, the mechanics. If anything it’s the confidence factor. It’s a tough business and, obviously, he hasn’t progressed in the last year. There’s a lot of reasons. A lot gets pinned on the quarterback, but they look pretty much like the same team I’ve seen over the time Blake’s been there. They don’t block very well, can’t run the ball with any consistency which obviously hurts the quarterback, their pass protection is getting better but it’s still a little suspect. A lot of moving parts where they’re not a very good football team and quarterback’s the focal point of it.”

Taaffe identified some mechanical issues, which were evident on an ugly underthrown pass last week, but he was just as concerned with Bortles’ reaction. The quarterback slumped his shoulders and dropped his head afterward, as frustrated as Jaguars fans have been.

“I was a little concerned just seeing his body language the other night during the game,” Taaffe said. “Particularly when he underthrew that deep ball. Just his reaction, you can tell it’s really gotten to him. . . .

“His confidence obviously has to be shaken right now, because for the first time, he’s been challenged by his coaching staff. He’s always been a strong guy mentally and this could be good for him. Obviously, it’s out on the table that, ‘Hey, my job’s being challenged and I’ve got to step up and get it done.”

Chad Henne‘s going to start tonight against the Panthers, as the Jaguars seem to be looking for some reason, any reason, to make a change. And whether Bortles can shake out of his funk or not, it might be too late to matter.