Final game notes: Jaguars vs. Dolphins

Dynamic duo

Cecil Shorts (6-101) and Justin Blackmon (6-93) combined for 12 receptions for 194 yards against the Dolphins and were the only players to have a reception of at least 10 yards. Shorts (925) and Blackmon (707) are the first Jaguars receiving duo since 2009 to have at least 700 yards in a season.

Shorts returns to action; finishes with 101 yards

After missing last week with a concussion, second-year wide receiver Cecil Shorts returned to action and led the Jaguars with six receptions for 101 yards. It marked his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, the most by a Jaguar since Jimmy Smith had four in 2004.

Shorts has a team-high 925 yards and seven touchdowns on 49 receptions with two games remaining. The 925 yards are the most by a Jaguar since 2005 (Smith, 1,023) and he is 75 yards shy from becoming the first Jaguar to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2005.

Other notes on Shorts:

Has a reception of 25-plus yards in 10 of 13 games played.
In seven road games this season, he has scored five of his seven touchdowns and has 33 receptions for 608 yards (18.4 avg.).
Finished with catches of 30 and 23 yards, increasing his season total to 17 receptions of 20-plus yards. The 17 catches are tied for the fourth-most in team history for a season.
He has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in four of the last seven games.
Snapped a streak of four straight games with a touchdown catch.

Blackmon sets rookie record

Justin Blackmon set the single-season franchise record for receptions by a rookie as he had six catches for 93 yards (15.5 avg.). Blackmon’s 51 receptions surpassed Mike Thomas (48, 2009) for the most by a rookie in team history and he already owns the mark for receiving yards by a rookie with 707.

Blackmon had receptions of 38 and 27 yards. All six of his receptions of 25-plus yards this season have come on the road.

Henne returns to Miami

Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne squared off against the team that drafted him on Sunday. Henne, a second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2008, finished 18 of 34 passing for 221 yards for a 73.3 rating. He had two completions of 30-plus yards, hooking up with Justin Blackmon (38) and Cecil Shorts (30).

Pasztor gets start in NFL debut

Rookie guard Austin Pasztor made his NFL debut and started at left guard. Pasztor spent 12 weeks on the Jaguars practice squad before he was signed to the 53-man roster on Dec. 14. He was originally signed by Minnesota as a rookie free agent. He is the ninth player that has spent time on a team’s practice squad in 2012 and also been on the Jaguars active roster through 14 games.

On the board early

The Jaguars put together a 10-play, 61-yard opening drive that resulted in a 37-yard field goal by Josh Scobee. It marked the second straight game the Jaguars scored first and fifth time this season (at Minnesota, at Indianapolis, at Green Bay, New York Jets, at Miami). On 14 opening possessions in 2012, the Jaguars have scored three field goals, punted eight times, had two interceptions and one lost fumble.

Sack/forced fumble

Jason Babin and Tyson Alualu took down Ryan Tannehill in the second quarter. Alualu was credited with the sack, Babin with the forced fumble and the ball was recovered by Dawan Landry. It marked the second straight week Babin forced a fumble.

Another 40-catch season for Lewis

Tight end Marcedes Lewis finished with three receptions, increasing his season total to 41. It marks the third time in his career with at least 40 receptions (58, 2010; 41, 2008) and he surpassed his receptions total from 2011 (39).

Tidbits

Kicker Josh Scobee scored the Jaguars’ only points with a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. Scobee has connected on 22 of 24 field goal attempts (91.7 pct.) through 14 games.
Rookie punter Bryan Anger punted five times for 237 yards (47.4 avg.) with no returns by the Dolphins.
The Jaguars entered the game with the third-most fourth down attempts in the NFL and added to the total with three (0-for-3). Through 14 games, the Jaguars have converted 7 of 21 fourth down attempts.
The Jaguars matched their season-high in penalties with 10 (vs. Indianapolis).
The Jaguars finished with 299 total yards, the most since their win over Tennessee on Nov. 25.
Three of the Jaguars’ four red zone trips ended on downs. The Jaguars moved the ball to the Dolphins 19-yard line on their opening drive before settling for a 37-yard field goal by Josh Scobee. The Dolphins finished with five red zone trips including four straight to start the second half.
Nine of the Jaguars’ 15 sacks have come on the road and 14 of the 15 sacks have come from defensive linemen.
The Jaguars forced the game’s only turnover, a sack/forced fumble of quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the second quarter. The Jaguars have been even or won the turnover differential in 10 of 14 games including five straight.
The Jaguars matched their season-low for points with three (Oct. 7 vs. Chicago).
First-year running back Richard Murphy had a career-high six carries for 20 yards.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished with a 123.2 passer rating, the highest rating by an opposing quarterback through 14 games. Dolphins running back Reggie Bush became the fourth opposing player to eclipse 100 rushing yards against the Jaguars as he totaled 104 yards on 21 rushes, joining Houston’s Arian Foster (110), Chicago’s Matt Forte (107) and Buffalo’s Fred Jackson (109).
Dolphins running back Reggie Bush had a 53-yard run in the third quarter, the longest run by a Jaguars opponent this season.
Guard Uche Nwaneri started his 59^th consecutive game, the eighth-longest streak in team history.