Whether there is any truth to the rumors of the Cowboys attempting to lure Jason Witten out of retirement, Blake Jarwin got the message loud and clear.
The undrafted free agent stepped up big in the Cowboys’ 29-23 win over the Eagles Sunday afternoon.
Jarwin unexpectedly found favor with Dak Prescott and hauled a career-high seven catches, 56-yard performance. His most thrilling play of the night was a 22-yard catch down the middle that gave Dallas a crucial first down. The Cowboys went on to score a third field goal making the score 9-0 in the third quarter.
Dalton Schultz also chimed in on the action with three catches for 37 yards, helping paint a clearer picture of how the Cowboys might plan to move forward with the position.
The 24-year-old TE has officially positioned himself as a potential weapon in the Cowboys’ passing game. The Cowboys have been missing a versatile playmaker in the TE position, and while Jarwin may lack the athleticism the team yearns for, he certainly makes up for it as an efficient target for Prescott.
“Every week I think I’ve gotten a little bit better and my confidence has gone up and it showed tonight,” said Jarwin via Dallas Cowboys. “I had a little extra opportunities than I usually get and I took advantage. Dak put the ball on me every time and, you know, I just gotta make plays for the offense.”
The wonderful irony of Jarwin’s sudden blooming against the defending Super Bowl champs comes as a sting to Philadelphia who almost signed him in 2017. Almost.
Jarwin’s emergence comes not a moment too soon as the Cowboys close in on securing the NFC East Division. Dallas will need to stabilize its offense to make a strong playoff run and a solid Swaim-Jarwin combo at TE could do just that.
Since his time with the Cowboys, Jarwin has racked up 14 receptions for 135 yards. Standing alone, this stat probably doesn’t say much, but it isn’t too far in comparison from Geoff Swaim, who earned 26 receptions for 242 yards before his injury in November.
Although there is still no definite timetable for Swaim’s return, it wouldn’t be crazy to expect these two to share the TE position in the foreseeable future.
Undoubtedly, there is a lot of room for improvement and Jarwin still has a lot to prove, but for now the Cowboys will need him to solidify the blocking and get open. It will be a matter of maximizing on the connection between Dak and Jarwin for the next three weeks.
“I think as a team we’re really building up our chemistry,” said Jarwin. “It’s been great for us, we want to play for each other and we’ve got a great mentality.”
Related:
The Good and Bad with the Cowboys
The Amari Cooper trade not only saved the Cowboys season, it made them instant contenders
With three games to play in the regular season, the Cowboys have the inside track to the NFC East
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.