JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A look at the highs and lows of the first half of the season for the Jacksonville Jaguars and what to expect in the second half:

Midseason MVP: Quarterback Blake Bortles has already surpassed his TD total from his rookie season (11), and he’s on pace to top 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards. He still makes several throws or decisions each week that make you shake your head, but he’s also making four or five plays each week that give the Jaguars a chance to win. His development in his second season further reinforces management’s belief that he will be the player around whom they will build the franchise.

Best moment: Coach Gus Bradley had been talking about grit and resiliency for weeks, and the Jaguars finally showed some against Buffalo in London. Bortles threw a pick-six that gave the Bills a 31-27 lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars rebounded by going on an 84-yard drive that ended with Bortles' 31-yard touchdown pass to a diving Allen Hurns with little more than two minutes remaining. Bortles completed 4 of 6 passes for 74 yards on the drive, which made up for the fact that he went 0-for-7 with the interception to start the fourth quarter.

Worst moment: It is easily the play in which running back Bernard Pierce blocked a Tampa Bay player instead of making the tackle in punt coverage. He might have been suffering from a concussion at the time, but he didn’t tell the team’s medical staff that he was experiencing concussion-like symptoms until about an hour after the game. The Jaguars were unable to pinpoint the play in which Pierce suffered the concussion. Video of the play shows Pierce slowly running toward Bucs punt returner Bobby Rainey when he inexplicably turns around and blocks the Bucs player that was trailing behind him. Rainey runs right past Pierce’s left hip on the way to a 58-yard return.

One reason to be optimistic: The AFC South is a mess, and the Jaguars are still very much in contention despite the poor start. A losing record might win the division. The remainder of the Jaguars’ schedule isn’t exactly murderer’s row, either. They face only two teams that entered this past weekend with winning records (the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons), and five of their remaining eight opponents entered last weekend with three or fewer victories.

Key to the second half: Granted, the Jaguars blew a 24-point lead to Buffalo before winning the game, but the reason they had that lead in the first place is important to their success going forward: turnovers. The Jaguars forced four, which is one more than they had in their first six games, and scored two defensive touchdowns. They don’t have to do that every week, but the defense needs to make big plays to offset the fact that they can’t generate pressure without blitzing. Otherwise, there is too much pressure on an offense stocked with young players that are still coming together.