Jacksonville Jaguars bench QB Bortles, put in Kessler for backup

Kessler, 25, was acquired from the Cleveland Browns for a conditional seventh-round pick this offseason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars benched quarterback Blake Bortles early in the second half of their 20-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, putting in backup Cody Kessler.

Bortles' second lost fumble of the game set up a Texans touchdown two plays later to give Houston a 20-0 lead with 10:50 left in the third quarter. When the Jaguars got the ball back, Kessler came out while Bortles remained on the sideline.

Bortles had gone 6 of 12 for 61 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, in addition to the pair of lost fumbles. Kessler exceeded Bortles' completions in just two drives, starting 9 of 13 for 51 yards with a 6-yard touchdown to T.J. Yeldon to make it 20-7 with 2:18 left in the third.

Neither team would score again. Kessler finished 21 of 30 for 156 yards, the touchdown and an interception while taking four sacks. He fumbled on one sack, but teammate Josh Walker recovered.

The Jaguars signed Bortles, their first-round pick in 2014, to a three-year, $54 million contract in February, adding two years to Bortles' deal as he prepared to enter the final year of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old threw for 376 yards and four touchdowns in a win over the New England Patriots in Week 2, but he's also thrown eight interceptions, including six in his last three games entering Sunday. His lost fumbles against Houston brought his turnover total to 11 this season.

Jacksonville (3-4) have lost four of five and three in a row, getting outscored 90-28 over the three losses.