Prior to Sunday's game, the Jaguars' first round draft pick, Justin Blackmon, had just 250 yards receiving through nine games and was on pace to finish the season with fewer than 500 yards receiving. However, with 236 yards against the Texans, the rookie is now on pace to finish 2012 with 778 yards; a respectable number for a rookie receiver.
In fact, following his explosive game in Week 11, Blackmon is now the leader among rookies in receiving yards. Just how explosive was his day? It was the third most receiving yards recorded by a rookie in NFL history, and just 19 yards away from the rookie record set by Jerry Butler in 1979. The only other receiver to eclipse 230 yards in a game as a rookie was Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice in 1985.
The game came after much criticism for the rookie who struggled in his first nine games in the NFL, and he even drew the ire of some fans on Sunday for not securing a catch in the end zone early. However, in the remainder of the game, which included an 81-yard touchdown that featured a catch in traffic and broken tackles to break free, Blackmon showed the qualities that caused the Jaguars to select the Oklahoma State receiver at fifth overall.