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Inside the game: Despite loss, Jags WR pair stand out again
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. | The Jaguars might only have two wins.
But, they’ve got two second-year stars at receiver.
Allen Robinson is 22. Allen Hurns is 23.
Get ready for a decade of explosive passing.
The progress is obvious, yet stings as the Jaguars lost to the New York Jets 28-23 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
However, it should be hard for Jaguars fans to frown for long based on what Robinson and Hurns accomplished.
The two combined for 11 catches for 243 yards and a touchdown.
The Jets entered the game ranked eighth in the NFL in passing defense, allowing 229 yards a game.
Robinson and Hurns eclipsed that on their own, as quarterback Blake Bortles threw for a career-high 381 yards.
Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, a six-time Pro Bowl player, and Antonio Cromartie, a four-time Pro Bowler, lead the Jets secondary.
Hurns caught five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Robinson brought down six receptions for 121 yards.
Revis lined up solely on Robinson. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Robinson went over Revis for a 44-yard catch and also brought down a 33-yarder.
“This was the biggest challenge since I’ve been in the league,” Robinson said. “Going against him every snap, he’s a hell of a player. You’re not going to get completely open on him, but when the ball is in the air I tried to get in position to make a play.”
They made franchise history, at the hardest position to do so.
Receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell did amazing things as a tandem in the 1990s. However, Robinson and Hurns became the first pair to each gain over 120 yards in a game.
“It’s cool, but at the same time, we both know there were plays left out there to be made,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to go in next week and put the work in. It’s hard to play perfect, but we strive for perfection.”
Still, there was little celebrating. Hurns was emotional in the locker room after the game, but not because of any injury to his ankle. He was taken in for evaluation after being hurt in the final minute.
“Yeah, I’m physically fine,” Hurns said. “No bad news. I’m good. It’s just tough because of the loss. It was a positive step. But at the end of the day, this one hurts. At critical moments we had mistakes and that came back to haunt us. That really determined the outcome of the game.”
Robinson and Hurns each had an early drop, something Jaguars coach Gus Bradley quickly excused in his post-game comments.
Hurns caught four passes that gained at least 20 yards; Robinson had three that gained at least 23 yards.
“They were very good,” Bradley said. “What I appreciated is that Robinson had a drop, but came back, played consistently and then made some big plays. Drops are going to happen — it’s the NFL and they play great coverage with very talented DBs. Our guys were challenged and I like how they both bounced back from those [drops] and made plays.”
Robinson and Hurns didn’t just show up Sunday. They have all season.
Both have six touchdowns through eight games. The franchise record is 10.
Hurns caught his 30-yard touchdown on an outstanding double move that left Cromartie three steps behind him.
“Prior to that drive, we said we were going to go after Cromartie on a slant and go,” Hurns said. “Blake made an incredible throw and we executed.”
Robinson has 40 catches for 707 yards, a 17.7-yard average per catch.
Hurns stands at 36 receptions for 635 yards, a 17.6-yard average.
They have combined for 47.3 percent of the Jaguars total yards (2,835).
The Jaguars have eight games remaining and there isn’t a New England, Denver, Cincinnati or NFC powerhouse on the schedule.
The Jaguars aren’t finishing 8-0, but the key to any second-half surge is clear.
The offense needs to emphasize Robinson and Hurns even more. Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon is promising, but the passing game is becoming unstoppable.
Four of the remaining opponents entered Sunday with a defense that ranked 19th or worse. Only one (Tennessee) began the day with a top-five defense in total yards allowed.
Anyone scared of the Titans secondary? Didn’t think so.
The Jaguars haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Smith in 2005.
Now they have two on pace for over 1,200.
The Jaguars have waited a decade for a star receiver. Now they have two.
“They’re definitely two special players,” Bortles said. “They’re smart, hard-working, athletic players. They wanted this as bad as anyone in this locker room. I have a lot of trust in those guys. We’ve built up a lot of trust and chemistry over the last year and a half that we’ve been together and it will only continue to grow and get better.”
http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2015-11-08/story/inside-game-despite-loss-jags-wr-pair-stand-out-again