EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — If football is a numbers game, keep an eye on the turnover ratio during Sunday's matchup between the Vikings and Jaguars.
Minnesota is second in the NFL with a plus-13 turnover ratio, helped in part because its defense has 12 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries.
Jacksonville ranks last with a minus-18 turnover ratio. The Jaguars are tied for the league lead with 25 giveaways.
"We obviously need to take care of the ball; that's a big thing, and a lot of that is on me to be able to do," said Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. "We feel as though if we can do that, we can be in any game and win a lot of them."
Bortles has been the primary turnover culprit for the Jaguars this season. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and has lost five fumbles.
Bortles has completed 282 of 483 passes (58.4 percent) for 2,930 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, but has been hampered by turnovers early in his career. He has thrown 50 interceptions in 42 career games.
The quarterback has also been unlucky at times.
View the top contributors for the Jacksonville Jaguars on offense, defense and special teams before the Vikings Sunday matchup at EverBank Field.
Bradley is a Minnesota native. He grew up and attended high school in Zumbrota.
Hurns caught 10 touchdowns in 15 games played in 2015. He has three touchdowns in 11 games played this season.
The fifth overall pick in last year's draft has 51 combined tackles and starts as a cover corner for the Jaguars.
Smith is in his third season out of Florida State and leads the Jaguars defense in tackles (94).
In the Jaguars three-headed backfield, the Alabama product leads all rushers with 373 yards and 103 attempts.
Bortles leads the NFL in interceptions through 13 games (15).
Fowler was the Jaguars third overall pick in 2015 and had to miss all of last season with an ACL tear. This season, he's racked up 28 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Robinson is Bortles' top target and leads the team in receptions (56), receiving yards (622) and receiving touchdowns (six).
Jackson was a Super Bowl Champion last season as member of the Denver Broncos.
Ivory was an offseason acquisition after rushing for 1,070 yards with the New York Jets in 2015. He has 93 carries for 350 yards in nine games.
Bortles, who is also on his third offensive coordinator in two-plus seasons, told the Twin Cities media Wednesday that some of his interceptions are just plainly his fault. But others have taken wacky bounces.
Of Bortles' 15 interceptions this season, five have bounced off the hands of his wide receivers. One caromed off a receiver's hands and foot, and another was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Bortles said his mindset is simple heading into Sunday's matchup with Minnesota.
"Try to throw it to my team and not theirs. It's kind of hard to pinpoint why," Bortles said. "You hope you go through and make all the right decisions and the right throws.
"The tips and stuff like that is going to happen, but if we go through and are comfortable with the plan that (Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Nathaniel) Hackett puts together, hopefully we can do that and eliminate [the turnovers]," he added.
Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley said the amount of bobbled or deflected passes that have turned into picks has been perplexing.
"I know on defense, we talk about tips and overthrows. A lot of times, tips and overthrows are the way you get interceptions," Bradley said. "If you go back and look at the interceptions that we've had, there's been a majority of them through that.
"We've got to try to get those out of our game as fast as possible. It's been a nemesis for us the whole year," Bradley added.
Bortles is 10-31 as a starter for Jacksonville and has thrown 11 pick sixes, including three this season.
Even though the opportunity might be there for turnovers Sunday in the Jacksonville, Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer and his defense know they will also get a stern test from Bortles, a quarterback Zimmer described as an athlete with a big, strong arm.
"Anything can happen in this league," Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes. "We've just got to go out and play ball.
"He makes throws," Rhodes added. "I know he's thrown a lot of interceptions, but he makes throws, too."
