Way to be featured again, Cecil!  Source:  Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Yards per route run?  Yeah, it’s another one of those signature stats things that Pro Football Focus continues to push out.  What’s that?  You’ve been hearing a lot about PFF on B&T lately?  Yes, it’s because for once we have a player who is featured in these things.

That player is Cecil Shorts III.

No Jacksonville Jaguars player played quite like Shorts this season.  The guy had the highest receiving yards since 2005 and provided a big play threat that the Jags have been unable to cultivate for years.  While he had some issues – like having the sixth highest drop rate in the NFL – he was still highly effective.

This is evidenced by Shorts’ eighth highest yards per route run.

YPRR tries to more accurately show the effect of a receiver by measuring the effect of the player per route rather than by measuring his total receiving yards and catches.  In this way players like Calvin Johnson are brought down from their pedestal (not that his gargantuan effort should be slighted!) based on passing more than any other team ever.

Michael Crabtree had a great season and it is reflected in his YPRR.  Source: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

YPRR provides a bit of efficiency measurement for receivers, which is something that is generally lacking when measuring the overall efficiency of a passing game.  Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick were efficient quarterbacks, but Michael Crabtree helped by being a very efficient wide receiver (2.55 YPRR).  In measuring the YPRR, Calvin Johnson drops out of the top spot and is replaced by Andre Johnson as the only receiver with above 3.0 (3.01 YPRR).

Below Andre Johnson the list get tighter.  The next highest YPRR belongs to Brandon Marshall and is a full .25 below Johnson.  But between Marshall and Shorts (seven players) there is a difference of just .46. This puts Shorts in some pretty good company.

Shorts’ YPRR of 2.30 is nowhere near 3.01, but it puts him close to top receivers like A.J. Green (2.31) and Vincent Jackson (2.34) and puts him ahead of top receivers like Wes Welker (2.19), Dez Bryant (2.12), and Roddy White (2.08).  Shorts has found himself in good company after a major breakout campaign.

As PFF notes in their conclusion, “it will be nearly impossible to be high on this list without at least an adequate quarterback.”  Is that an endorsement of Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne?  Shorts is also the only receiver in the top 15 who was targeted less in less than 20% of throws by his quarterback(s).  Now imagine if he had caught more of those passes…

Behind Shorts, things are looking up for Jags receivers.

- Luke N. Sims

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Schaub tied with Warren Moon (1990 vs Kansas City Chiefs) behind Norm Van Brocklin (554 vs St. Louis Rams in 1951) with 527 yards for the second most…ever.

Schaub’s final stat line runs like this: 43/55 for 527 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions.  He completed 16 straight passes to overcome a 14 point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Well played sir…well played.  Source: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

The main recipient of Schaub’s big day was 31 year-old wide receiver Andre Johnson.  Johnson, a man who always seems ageless and is always capable of dominating the game, caught 14 of Schaub’s 43 completed passes for a whopping 273 yards and a score.  Johnson caught the overtime game winning touchdown on a 48 yard screen pass.  Johnson had 597 yards through nine games heading into this one.  He combined with Justin Blackmon (236 yards) for the second 200+ receiving duo on opposite teams, ever.

Schaub’s big day also led to two touchdowns for tight end Garret Graham, one for James Casey, and one for Keshawn Martin.

For an offense that had traditionally dominated its games with its running game behind Arian Foster, the Texans changed it up and dominated through the air.  Foster managed only 77 yards on 28 carries against a usually porous Jaguar run defense.  The Jaguars pass rush was mediocre – two sacks for CJ Mosley – and Schaub was playing pitch-and-catch with his receivers.  His two interceptions were bound to happen when you toss the ball 55 times and are forced to take more difficult shots than you would like.  Either way, the Jaguars failed to slow down Schaub and Johnson.

Whether the Jaguars simply go down as a footnote in the Texans’ run to the playoffs Super Bowl or this game gets re-run on NFL Network in years to come, it’s tough to deny the offensive brilliance coming from the Texans against a highly overmatched defense.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

This was supposed to be a defense-dominated game for the Texans.  Source: Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Some say that the Texans may have been sleep walking through this one and that is why Jacksonville surprised them.  However, in a league that has put many more mediocre teams in front of the Jaguars and seen less fight, I think it is more probable that the Jaguars just woke up.

The Jaguars had the game in their reach going up 34-20 with 12:33 left in the game.  However, the Texans took advantage of the outmatched Jaguars’ secondary to catch up and force overtime after missing a game-winning 47 yard field goal.  Matt Schaub completed his final 16 passes in order to bring the Texans back and force overtime.

This game was supposed to be out of hand, but the Jaguars may have managed to show that being in the NFL does mean you can hang with the best on any given Sunday (and beat college teams too).  Blackmon was able to take advantage of a usually stingy defense and showed why he was a top-5 pick for the first time this season.  Henne had a big day in relief for the injured Blaine Gabbert (bruised elbow after going 2/2 for 24 yards), setting a career record four touchdowns and finishing with 354 yards.

This game delivered on many different levels.  Let’s take a peek at them:

• Blackmon and Johnson – second 200+ opposing duo in NFL History
• Matt Schaub – Most yards since 1990 with 527 (tied with Warren Moon in ’90 for second most in NFL history)
• Texans’ first overtime win at home – ever
• Jaguars third overtime loss this season

It was an exciting game that opened some eyes and gave fans something to think about for years to come.

It may be a loss for the Jaguars, but it’s nice to see them finally show up.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims