The Jacksonville Jaguars lost in painful fashion to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, but they may have found a new weapon on offense. Wide receiver Cecil Shorts caught four passes for 74 yards against the Vikings, including a go-ahead touchdown reception with just 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. SB Nation Jaguars blog Big Cat Country is expecting to see more of Shorts against the Houston Texans this Sunday:
Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey stated this week that he expects CS3 to get more looks on the field starting this week, following the impressive performance. Look for Shorts to get a lot of snaps on Sunday, as the team will likely be looking to keep 3-4 receivers on the field often, in order to spread out the Texans defense and try to counter their pass rush with quick, short passes and a lot of options for Gabbert to go to.
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Shorts, who is in his second NFL season, caught a total of two passes in 2011. Between him and rookie Justin Blackmon, the Jaguars hope they have a foundation at wide receiver that they'll be able to rely on for many years.
For more coverage of the Jaguars, stay tuned to Big Cat Country and SB Nation Tampa Bay. Also be sure to check out Battle Red Blog and SB Nation Houston for updates on the Texans. For more news, notes and analysis from around the league, visit SB Nation's NFL hub.