Tight end combo exceeding expectations
FRISCO — At this point of his career, Jason Witten is unlikely to be compared to Pro Bowl tight ends George Kittle or Travis Kelce. The 1,000-plus-yard seasons are behind the 37-year-old Cowboys legend.
Witten’s understudy, Blake Jarwin, isn’t setting the football world on fire, either, with 12 receptions through eight games.
But the tandem of Witten and Jarwin is giving the Cowboys a level of production they haven’t received from the tight end spot in quite a while. At the midway point of 2019, the duo has combined for 483 yards and five touchdowns — a pace that would top those categories in each of the last five seasons.
And the pairing of an icon with a growing prospect has only added another element to the league’s top offense, which is averaging 436.8 yards per game.
“Blake has completely evolved,” Witten said. “He’s always been a sponge, but I think now he understands he’s a real weapon, and he’s just constantly trying to find ways to get better and better.”
Jarwin’s 42-yard score just before halftime Monday was the big play of the night from the group, as Dak Prescott took advantage of a broken play and found Jarwin before the 6-5 Oklahoman busted up the sideline and into the end zone.
It’s nothing new for Jarwin — at least against the Giants. Five of his six career touchdowns and nearly half of the 469 yards in Jarwin’s three-year career have come against the division rival.
Still, he’s become a bigger part of the Cowboys’ offense in recent weeks.
After playing 37 percent of the offensive snaps in the first five weeks and a season-low 17 snaps at New Orleans, he’s been on the field almost half the time the last three games.
“Whatever we ask him to do, he embraces. He embraced more of a role last year, he’s embracing a different kind of role this year,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said of Jarwin. “I think he’s an improved player, he’s a more complete tight end than he’s been. His ability to block on the line of scrimmage has improved, his ability to protect, he’s developed
as a route runner and he still makes plays when he has opportunity.”
Despite stepping away from the game last season, Witten has previously said he’d like to play until he’s 40.
Now 37, Witten doesn’t want to speculate beyond this season. He’ll be a free agent after the year, and it won’t be a surprise whenever he chooses to retire again.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Jarwin said when asked about Witten’s plans. “But (fellow tight end Dalton Schultz and I) go to work each day, we want to get better. and we have the approach that if he’s not here, we want to be the guys.”