Game notes: JAX vs HOU

Dec 28, 2014 at 09:18 AM

SEVEN ROOKIES START IN SEASON-FINALE

The Jaguars led the NFL in 2014 with rookies combining to make 82 starts including seven rookies in the starting lineup in the season finale. Offensively, Luke Bowanko(center), Brandon Linder (guard), Marqise Lee (wide receiver), Allen Hurns (wide receiver) and Blake Bortles (quarterback) all started against the Texans. Cornerback Aaron Colvin made his first career start while linebacker Telvin Smith started his 10th career game. Ten different rookies started a game for the Jaguars this season.

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HURNS' TOTALS RANK AMONG BEST IN NFL HISTORY BY AN UNDRAFTED ROOKIE

Rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns finished the season with a team-high 677 yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions, the second-most receptions on the team. Hurns' 51 receptions tied for the fourth-most in NFL history by an undrafted rookie while his 677 yards rank as the fifth-most. His six touchdowns are tied for the fourth-most by an undrafted rookie in NFL history.

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BORTLES SETS FRANCHISE RECORD FOR PASSING YARDS BY A ROOKIE

Quarterback Blake Bortles, the third overall pick in 2014, finished with 117 yards on 14 of 33 passing against the Texans and set the single-season franchise-record for passing yards by a rookie with 2,908. Byron Leftwich held the mark with 2,819 yards in 2003. Here are additional notes on Bortles:

Finished the season with 37 completions of 20-plus yards, six for touchdowns. He hooked up with Ace Sanders for a 24-yard completion against the Texans.
Threw 14 interceptions in his first eight games and had only three interceptions in the last six games.
Started the final 13 games and finished the season 280 of 475 passing for 2,908 yards with 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a 69.5 rating. He had a 58.9 completion percentage and was sacked 55 times.

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ANOTHER BIG DAY ON THE GROUND FOR BORTLES

Blake Bortles led the Jaguars with 61 yards on three rushes which included a career-long 34-yard run in the fourth quarter. The 61 yards were the second-most of his career. He finished his rookie season ranked second on the Jaguars with 419 yards on 56 carries (7.5 avg.) The 419 yards are the second-most in franchise history by a quarterback (Mark Brunell 480, 1995). He had a run of at least 19 yards in six of 14 games played and had 111 yards on the ground in the final two games.

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JAGUARS RECORD THREE SACKS; CONCLUDE SEASON WITH 45

The Jaguars registered three sacks against the Texans and finished the 2014 season with 45, the fourth-most sacks in team history and most since 2005 (47). The Jaguars had 51 sacks over the previous two seasons combined (2012-13). The Jaguars had at least three sacks in 10 of 16 games, the most games with at least three sacks since 2005 (10). Fifteen different players had sacks for the Jaguars including a team-high 8.5 by defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks. The defensive linemen combined for 37 of the 45 sacks.

JAGUARS SET FRANCHISE RECORD WITH 19 FORCED FUMBLES

With Chris Clemons' sack/forced fumble of Case Keenum in the third quarter, the Jaguars set a single-season franchise record with 19 forced fumbles. The previous high was 18 in 1997. The Jaguars led the NFL in 2014 with 12 sacks/forced fumbles.

CLEMONS FINISHES WITH 8.0 SACKS AND CAREER-HIGH FOUR FORCED FUMBLES

Defensive end Chris Clemons sacked Texans quarterback Case Keenum and forced a fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by defensive end Ryan Davis. Clemons finished his first season with the Jaguars with eight sacks, the fifth time in the last eight seasons he has recorded eight or more sacks. He had a career-high four forced fumbles. He has 66 career sacks with six of his eight sacks this season coming on the road.

ROOKIE TELVIN SMITH FINISHES SEASON STRONG

Rookie linebacker Telvin Smith led the Jaguars with a career-high 16 tackles (11 solo), his fourth game this season with double-digit tackles including back-to-back games to finish the season. Smith started 10 games and finished the season with 99 tackles, the second-highest total on the team. He had 31 tackles in the final two games.

THREE DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWNS TIE FOR MOST IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

The Jaguars finished the 2014 season with three defensive touchdowns, tied for the most in franchise history (3, 1999 and 2007). Cornerback Dwayne Gratz had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Texans.

IRONMEN

The Jaguars had five players start all 16 games in 2014: Luke Joeckel (OT), Zane Beadles (G), Sen'Derrick Marks (DT), Chris Clemons (DE) and Red Bryant (DT). The club had 21 players play in all 16 games including two rookies in center Luke Bowanko and wide receiver Allen Hurns.

FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN FOR DWAYNE GRATZ

Second-year cornerback Dwayne Gratz picked off Texans quarterback Case Keenum in the first quarter and returned it 55 yards for his first career touchdown. The 55-yard return tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history and was the first interception return for a touchdown by the Jaguars since Paul Posluszny had a 59-yard return for a score on Oct. 13, 2013 at Denver. Gratz had a season-high three passes defensed. The interception by Gratz snapped a six-game streak without an interception by the Jaguars.

SHORTS JOINS ELITE COMPANY

Wide receiver Cecil Shorts led the Jaguars with 53 receptions that went for 557 yards. Shorts joined Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell as the only players in franchise history with at least 50 receptions in three straight seasons. Shorts led the Jaguars with five catches for 47 yards against the Texans. He has 176 career receptions which ranks as the ninth-most in team history. His 2,243 career receiving yards are the seventh-most in team history.

DEFENSE HOLDS OPPONENTS UNDER 300 PASSING YARDS IN 12 STRAIGHT GAMES

After allowing 300-plus passing yards in three of the first four games, the Jaguars did not allow an opponent to eclipse 300 passing yards in the final 12 games. The streak of 12 straight games is tied for the third-longest streak in team history (15, 1995; 14, 1999; 12, 1996).

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES WITH A TOUCHDOWN FOR TODMAN

Second-year running back Jordan Todman rushed seven times on Sunday for 52 yards with a 34-yard run in the third quarter, the second-longest run of his career, and added a career-high five catches for 46 yards. Todman scored in the third quarter on a 23-yard pass from wide receiver Cecil Shorts. Todman had a career-long 62-yard touchdown run against Tennessee on Dec. 18. He finished the season with 186 yards on 32 carries and a career-high 25 catches for 198 yards.

TIDBITS

The Jaguars finished the season with 73 penalties, the second-fewest in team history (70, 2009).
Defensive tackle Ziggy Hood played in his 96th straight game to begin his career.
Kicker Josh Scobee converted one of two field goal attempts with both coming from 50-plus yards. Scobee hit a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter and hit the left upright on a 51-yard attempt in the third quarter. He has converted 61.9 percent (26 of 42) in his career from 50-plus yards.
Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu sacked Case Keenum for a two-yard loss in the second quarter, his second sack this season. He has 13 career sacks. Today marked Alualu's 80th straight game played to start his career.
Safety Johnathan Cyprien finished with 11 tackles including two for loss.
Linebacker Geno Hayes registered his second sack of the season and 10th of his career.
Defensive Ryan Davis recovered a Case Keenum fumble in the third quarter, his first career fumble recovery. Davis played in all 16 games for the first time in his career.
Tight end Marcedes Lewis played in his 128th career game for the Jaguars, tied for the seventh-most in franchise history.
The Jaguars were 0 for 11 on third down, the fourth game in franchise history the club failed to record a third down conversion.
The Jaguars controlled the ball for 20:12, the lowest time of possession this season and lowest since Sept. 16, 2012 vs. Houston (16:43).
The Jaguars scored 14 points off two Texans turnovers.
The Jaguars failed to win a road game for the second season in team history (2003).
The Jaguars led after the first quarter (10-7) for the sixth time in 16 games.
The Jaguars had only three turnovers in the last five games (2 interceptions, 1 safety).
Guard Zane Beadles started all 16 games for the fourth consecutive season.
Wide receiver Ace Sanders had a season-long 24-yard reception in the second quarter from Blake Bortles, the longest completion of the game for the Jaguars.
Long snapper Carson Tinker finished the season with a career-high five special teams tackles after recording one today against the Texans.

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