'Jake's Crazy - And A Baller!' Dallas Cowboys Rave About Tight End Ferguson's Breakout
Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson stood face-to-face with Jamal Adams of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter of Thursday night's tilt, with the veteran safety seemingly taking exception with the second-year pass catcher's celebration after a first down.
Before the night was out, Ferguson -- with Adams covering him -- caught was proved to be the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott, as the Cowboys won a Thursday Night Football thriller 41-35.
It was perhaps the tight end's coming out party on a national stage, as he increasingly looks the part of one of the better tight ends in the NFL.
Ferguson caught six passes for 77 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's win, which improved the Cowboys record to 9-3 before a crucial rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14. It was the perfect compliment to a 12-catch, 116-yard performance from star receiver CeeDee Lamb, who increasingly finds himself impressed with Ferguson.
"He's a warrior, man," Lamb said of Ferguson. "He's taken a lot of shots, obviously this game included. He's done a lot of the dirty work, as far as blocking the end, blocking linebackers and then going out and running routes. I tip my hat out to him, they do a lot for us and continue to help each other."
Jake Ferguson has had a breakout season for the Dallas Cowboys.
USA Today
Ferguson has been particularly effective as a red zone target of late, catching touchdown passes in four of the last six games for the Cowboys. On the season, he's got five touchdown catches. The 24-year-old has been part of the aforementioned Prescott's emergence as an NFL MVP candidate.
"He's a baller," Prescott said of Ferguson. "His mentality is why he is the guy that he is and having the success that he is. He expects to do what he did in tonight's game and he's no different than me. I guarantee he can pull two or three plays off and says that he wants to get better at that. [He's] a guy that's not satisfied, loves the game of football."
A fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin on the 2022 NFL Draft, Ferguson was the backup to Dalton Schultz in his rookie season, catching 19 passes for 174 yards. However, the Cowboys allowed Schultz to depart for the Houston Texans this offseason, opening up a more expanded role for Ferguson.
Schultz has been productive for the upstart Texans, catching 40 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. Ferguson, though, has more than kept pace, with 46 catches and 498 yards to show after 12 games in his sophomore season. According to Pro Football Focus, Ferguson's 0.34 wins above replacement (WAR) was seventh among all tight ends entering Thursday's game, slightly above the 0.33 mark that Schultz has produced in 2023.
What's scary for opposing teams it that the Cowboys seem to believe that Ferguson is just scratching the surface of his potential.
"That's why I've had his back and continue to preach on his bright future, because I see what he does week in and week out," Prescott said of his tight end. "I know the mentality that he takes is a little crazy, but you have to be that way playing his position. He's a big-time guy for us."
