JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fourteen receptions for 176 yards and a touchdown might finally be enough to make people stop talking about the ability of the Jacksonville Jaguars' three young receivers.
Ernest Wilford doesn't think so. Wilford had three catches for 58 yards and combined with Reggie Williams (6 for 47 and a touchdown) and Matt Jones (5 for 71) to help the Jaguars to 237 passing yards Sunday.
"No, this won't end the talk," Wilford said. "That will never come to an end. People will always doubt us.
"But we don't care. As long as Matt, Reggie and me know we can get the job done, we don't care what other people think or say."
The three young receivers, all with two years experience or less, have been the center of attention since the team's all-time leading receiver (and former Cowboy), Jimmy Smith, retired.
None of the trio has distinguished himself the past two seasons. No one caught more than six passes in a game, and Williams' 41-yard catch of a Byron Leftwich pass last year is the only time one of them has had a gain of over 40 yards.
But against the Cowboys, all three seemed to elevate their games. Jones was on the receiving end of Leftwich passes on four consecutive plays, gaining 57 yards of the Jaguars' 74-yard drive that ended with a touchdown 31/2 minutes into the fourth quarter, giving the Jags a 17-10 lead.
Wilford and Leftwich combined on a 30-yard pass play in the second quarter. Nine plays later, Josh Scobee booted a 35-yard field goal for Jacksonville's first points.
Williams caught only three passes for 13 yards in the first half, but the last one was in the corner of the end zone and came with seven seconds left in the half. It tied the score at 10.
"We knew their weapons, the big receivers, would try to get matched up one-on-one to see if they could make plays," Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears said. "Today they made a couple of those plays."
Jeff Elliott is a staff writer for the Florida Times-Union
