Jaguars Sign Ernest Wilford In Anticipation Of New Look Chargers

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for more positive results out West this year than they had last season, but will look to use a familiar face in freshly resigned veteran tight end Ernest Wilford – who signed a 1-year deal with the Jaguars Thursday morning.

San Diego faces a Jaguars team who last week gave up 274 passing yards to Kyle Orton, Time Tebow and the Broncos.  Watch out for this week for San Diego’s new #1 receiver, Malcolm Floyd. With only 3 catches last week he will definitely be looking to step it up this week.

The Jags, however, limited the Broncos rushing to only 89 yards, with second-year player Knowshown Moreno only able to muster 60 yards. And Jacksonville won the key turnover and sack differentials, and will look to do the same against a new look Chargers team - San Diego is without LaDanian Tomlinson for the first time since 2000.

Jacksonville Head Coach Jack Del Rio admits the team had difficulty last year on the West Coast, losing to both the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.

“The West Coast wasn’t real good to us last year,” Coach Del Rio said. “Clearly we need to be a lot better than we were last year.”

Maurice Jones-Drew echoed that sentiment, but stressed the importance of living in the now and not reflecting on past loses. “Last year was last year,” the fifth-year player said.

The Chargers will look to bounce back after suffering an embarrassing Monday Night defeat at divisional rival Kansas City.

A recurring theme for the Jaguars this season will be the week-to-week monitoring of potential TV blackouts for home games.

Last season, the Jags and Raiders each had a league-high seven games blacked out, 14 of the league’s 22.

Last week in the season opener, the Jags drew 63,000 fans, near EverBank Stadium’s 67,000 capacity. But Jag’s team owner, Wayne Weaver, had the luxury of the crowd’s excitement for NFL’s opening week, the Jags long-time rivalry with the Broncos, and the debut of Jacksonville’s own prodigal son returned home, Tim Tebow.

The Jags are still about 2,000 tickets from lifting the black out on next week’s game against Philadelphia and hope to create some excitement for the team by winning on the road this Sunday in San Diego.

Team owner Wayne Weaver definitely hopes so.

“I think because it’s become so mainstream in conversation that when you talk about blackouts the first thing most media outlets do is mention us because we were tops on that list,” said Weaver in response to a question on why the Jaguars are always the first team mentioned when talk of a potential team in LA arises.

“We’re going to get off that list.”