Tag: Tight Ends

Jake Ferguson’s hurdle over Giants defender catapults Cowboys rookie into spotlight

The rookie’s Thanksgiving hurdle highlight was pure instinct. The locker room loved it but would like him to stay on the ground from now on. | From @ToddBrock24f7

As a four-year player at Wisconsin and the grandson of legendary Badgers ex-coach Barry Alvarez, Jake Ferguson has no doubt participated a time or two in the school’s wildly popular “Jump Around” game day tradition.

In just his 11th game with the Cowboys, the tight end proved before a record-setting nationwide audience that he can still get up. But hopefully fans enjoyed it, because it may not happen again.

Ferguson turned in one of the more memorable moments of the Cowboys’ 28-20 Thanksgiving Day victory over the New York Giants on a fourth-quarter play that started with a leaping fingertip grab and only got better from there.

Before it was all over, Ferguson had picked up a first down, gained 30 yards, and absolutely trucked Giants cornerback Rodarius Williams. But it was the full-body hurdle of six-foot-tall safety Jason Pinnock that had everyone talking about the fourth-round rookie’s obvious athleticism.

Jump around, indeed… although Ferguson admitted that the move was pure instinct and that he hadn’t tried it on a football field before.

“Never,” he told reporters after the game Thursday. “Cleared somebody? Never.”

The hurdle helped Ferguson notch the team’s longest play from scrimmage on Thursday and was the longest reception of his young but promising career.

His Dallas teammates and coaches were plenty impressed, even if they hope it was a one-time demonstration.

“I was just teasing him in the locker room,” head coach Mike McCarthy said in his postgame press conference. “I had a great view of it. I said the only reason why he didn’t try to jump over the second guy is because he was so damn tired from jumping over the first guy. But yeah, you can get away with that once or twice. He needs to drop his pads more.”

“I loved it,” wideout CeeDee Lamb raved. “I loved it, I loved it. Don’t get me wrong: he’s got to stay on the ground. My man just messed up his knee; he’ll be all right. But good play by him.”

Ferguson’s hurdle did come after a scare with an apparent left knee injury suffered earlier in the game. The rookie’s been dealing with a knee issue for most of the season, though it hasn’t caused him to miss any games thus far.

The 23-year-old stepped in and saw extensive time, in fact, in Weeks 3 and 6 as franchise-tagged starter Dalton Schultz nursed injuries of his own. But the rookie has fit right in, both on and off the field, as one-quarter of a talented and energetic tight ends room that saw them all combine for a clever Whac-A-Mole celebration after Peyton Hendershot’s touchdown versus the Giants.

“We have to keep getting those guys involved,” quarterback Dak Prescott said of the position group that also includes Sean McKeon. “It was fun to see them get that Whac-A-Mole. I think that just speaks on the personality of the room and how much fun they are having, enjoying their jobs.”

For the tight ends themselves, it’s all about having fun and making contributions. Ferguson, Schultz, and Hendershot are among the seven Cowboys who have logged double-digit receptions this year. All three have been on the field for over 30% of the offense’s snaps. And Ferguson’s two scoring catches have him tied for second on the team.

“You can’t have enough six-four, 250-pound men on your football team,” McCarthy explained. “I’m a big fan of the tight end position. Frankly, next to the quarterback, it’s the most demanding position as far as job responsibility. There’s involvement in the run, the protection, and the pass. It’s been very useful for us this past month.”

But Schultz says within the group, it’s more about their relationships with each other than competition against each other. (Case in point: Whac-A-Mole was Ferguson’s idea, to be executed no matter which of the four tight ends actually scored on the play.)

“That’s what it is. It helps set the tempo in our room. Our meetings are always engaging, always fun. We’re always learning something new. We have a group that complements each other’s skillset really well. To come out and have the production like we did today,” Schultz said Thursday, “that was awesome.”

The Cowboys tight ends will look to build on that production down the home stretch of the season… though Ferguson says he’ll likely look to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground, even after one giant- but unexpected- leap for tight endkind.

“That will probably be the last time I jump this year, because now guys will be going high, and it sets people up a little bit. But I don’t really know how to explain that one.”

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Cowboys tight ends fear monetary fine for Whac-A-Mole stunt, Dak Prescott promises help

The Cowboys’ tight ends came up with a TD celebration that could draw a fine; Dak Prescott told them they would get help if it happens. | From @ToddBrock24f7

After a sloppy first half that looked like an awkward Thanksgiving get-together, the Cowboys tight ends took over after intermission, playing the role of the fun uncles who assume control of game night and make sure everyone leaves with a smile.

Dalton Schultz and Peyton Hendershot scored all three of the Cowboys’ second-half touchdowns, while Schultz and Jake Ferguson combined to catch all seven of their total targets from quarterback Dak Prescott and contribute 88 receiving yards in the 28-20 win over the New York Giants.

By the end of the evening, it felt like the tight ends- along with fourth-stringer Sean McKeon- were simply toying with the Giants. So it was perhaps fitting that the foursome ganged up for a group celebration after Hendershot’s two-yard rushing score that kicked it old school all the way back to the Chuck E. Cheese days.

Ferguson, the rookie out of Wisconsin, says he came up with the Whac-A-Mole idea upon seeing the iconic red kettles in the end zones AT&T Stadium.

“I think we just saw the kettle and we were brainstorming in the tight end room, like, ‘What can we do? I think we can pop up and down.'” Ferguson explained. “I was like, ‘What about if all three of us are in there, we just play Whac-A-Mole?’ Because we knew Peyton had that play in for a couple of weeks, and we knew he was going to get in there and have an opportunity.”

That all four tight ends were on the field together made the moment even better. The celebration, of course, recalled a mid-December game in 2016 when running back Ezekiel Elliott leaped into the kettle after scoring on a run versus Tampa Bay. He drew a 15-yard penalty.

“I definitely have to give them their props,” Elliott said Thursday night of his teammates’ more elaborate sequel. “They topped me. They topped my kettle celebrations. I’m a little jealous they didn’t let me in on it. But I love those tight ends; we’ve got a hell of a tight end room. All four of them are playing great ball.”

In 2018, Elliott upped the ante by dropping $21 cash in the kettle after a Thanksgiving Day touchdown against Washington. Later in the same game, he picked up Prescott and deposited him in the bucket, too. He was flagged again and subsequently fined $13,369 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Thursday’s new kettle celebration wasn’t flagged on the field. And the team’s leaders told the tight ends not to worry about any monetary punishments that may be levied.

“It was great,” Prescott told reporters of the Whac-A-Mole stunt. “The guys told me about it earlier in the week. They were worried about getting fined or getting a penalty. We said, ‘Make sure you are up two touchdowns. We have a couple of guys that can help with the fines, so go for it.'”

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Former Notre Dame standout in midst of breakout season with Chicago Bears

Don’t look now but he’s looking every bit worth the second-round draft choice that was used on him…

Former Notre Dame star tight end [autotag]Cole Kmet[/autotag] had an interesting career with the Fighting Irish.  For some time he almost seemed like he was a rumor as he was blocked on the depth chart by talented upperclassmen and then a collarbone injury cost him the start of the 2019 season.

Kmet burst onto the scene for Notre Dame in 2019 when he made his season debut against Georgia.  He hauled in nine receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown as the Irish had the ball with a chance to win at the end of the 23-17 loss.  After a stellar junior season, Kmet declared for the 2020 NFL draft where the Chicago Bears selected him in the second round.

Kmet scored a pair of touchdowns this past Sunday as the Bears fell to the Detroit Lions, 31-30.  The rise of Bears quarterback Justin Fields has meant great things for Kmet as the last month for the former Domer has thrived.

Kmet stats and NFL ranks over the last four weeks:

  • 18 targets (10th most of all tight ends)
  • 13 receptions (10th most of all tight ends)
  • 158 yards (7th most of all tight ends)
  • 5 touchdowns (most of all receivers)

Kmet’s five touchdowns in the last three games exceed the two he had scored in his 40 previous NFL games.

Check out some of the best photos from Kmet’s breakout 2022 season below.

Prescott goes 8-for-8 with Cowboys’ TEs in National Tight Ends Day win: ‘Let’s feed them all’

Peyton Hendershot got the gift of Prescott’s first TD pass of 2022 to celebrate the unofficial holiday; Dalton Schultz played through pain. | From @ToddBrock24f7

It may have sneaked up most casual fans once again, but the Cowboys certainly didn’t forget about National Tight Ends Day. And while they didn’t take part in any formal recognition of the league-celebrated unofficial holiday, Dak Prescott and Co. ended up letting their talented group share the spotlight during Week 7’s win over Detroit.

It was a grass-roots effort from George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers that turned the fourth Sunday in October into National Tight Ends Day over the past several years. And while it was purely coincidental, the Cowboys had a whopping four of theirs in uniform for their meeting with the Lions, a team that just happens to be coached by Dan Campbell, himself a former Cowboys tight end.

While Sean McKeon didn’t see much action on offense (just two snaps), the other three Cowboys tight ends were heavily involved in the 24-6 Dallas victory, with Prescott going 8-for-8 in his passes to Dalton Schultz, Jake Ferguson, and Peyton Hendershot. The trio was responsible for 61 receiving yards and a score; Hendershot was on the other end of Prescott’s first touchdown throw of the 2022 season, in the quarterback’s highly-anticipated return to the field.

“What’s funny is actually, the flat to the right’s the first read,” Prescott explained in his postgame press conference. “And then Jake’s the second read. When I looked at him he was covered, and then I just see Peyton in the back of the end zone doing a jumping jack. And I throw it. They were giving me stuff when I get back to the sideline, like, ‘Oh, you didn’t throw it to Jake because he scored last week?'”

Now both rookies have a score on their short but promising pro resumes. According to Patrik Walker of the team website, it’s the first season in Cowboys history that two rookie tight ends have scored touchdowns.

“It had a little something sweet to it,” the undrafted Hendershot admitted of hauling in his first six-pointer on the holiday honoring his position, “but I’m just thankful regardless.”

The first Cowboy to congratulate Hendershot in the end zone after the score? Ferguson, of course.

“It’s [National] Tight End Day,” Prescott smiled, “so let’s feed them all. It’s just great for two young guys.”

Schultz didn’t find the end zone- and hasn’t yet this season- but he did log five receptions for 49 yards. He also managed to overcome another hit to his right knee.

The franchise-tagged starter first suffered a PCL sprain in Week 2. He missed the team’s next game, returned for Week 4 but didn’t record a catch, and then re-aggravated the knee against Los Angeles in Week 5. He was a late scratch last week in Philadelphia and was back in action on Sunday, though it looked like he may not last the whole contest.

The Stanford product was dragged down awkwardly in the first quarter by Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone and stayed on the turf for several minutes. He was able to return, vowing to play through the injury as long as he is able.

“I knew something was going to happen, and then the worst thing happened,” Schultz said Sunday, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “I was like, ‘Ahh, that’s ball.’ You run the risk of doing that every time you go out there. …[The knee] is finally getting to the point where it’s manageable, and hopefully it just keeps getting better and better as the weeks go on.”

He’ll look to repeat his weekly ramp-up to gameday once again as Chicago comes to town next Sunday, and hopefully continue to build on the rapport that he and Prescott have developed over the tight end’s five years in Dallas.

“Schultz is a guy that just, going back to his time coming in, has always been ready to work. He’s always been communicating and just trying to get on the same page,” Prescott explained. “I’d say we took a big step this offseason. We spent a lot of time together, whether it be [working on] routes, whether it just be personal or whatever it is. And I just think it shows. I have a lot of trust in him; we see the defense the same way. He’s important to this team, he’s important to that tight end room in growing those young guys.”

Even if it means letting the kids reap all the glory on National Tight Ends Day.

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Notre Dame football: All-time tight end receiving yard leaders

It’s not a matter of if but when for Baby Gronk at this point. See how close he is to setting another Notre Dame record…

Few college football programs can lay claim to producing top-level tight end talent quite like Notre Dame.  Dave Casper, Ken MacAfee, Tyler Eifert, and Kyle Rudolph are just a few of the best to have played the position for the Irish before moving on to NFL careers.

As we sit in the middle of the 2022 season it’s not crazy to think we’re all watching the best of the bunch right now in junior Michael Mayer.  Mayer set the program record for career receptions by a tight end in Notre Dame’s win over BYU in October and will only expand on that.

He’s not at the top of the all-time receiving yardage list by a tight end but that should be coming in a matter of weeks.  Here are the top-ten receiving yardage leaders in Notre Dame football history (through Oct. 10, 2022).

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Tight Ends

Florida’s tight end room has seen a complete overhaul since the end of last season. Here’s a look at the group heading into 2022.

Next up in Gators Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida Gators football roster is the tight end room.

Last year’s starter [autotag]Kemore Gamble[/autotag] was one of the many players that left the team via the transfer portal. While he suits up for the UCF Knights this season, the Gators will test out some new names at the position. Senior [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is the returning player in the room with the most experience, but a trio of defensive players made the switch to tight end after two others went down with an injury in the spring.

Billy Napier added a pair of tight ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle too, so there’s plenty of depth on the team at this point. The big task for Napier will be to figure out which players deserve the most playing time. Most of these guys are relatively unproven, and Napier likes to run a lot of two-tight-end sets to engage the run game.

There seems to be a clear first and second team in place as the season draws near, but an injury or two could give some rotational pieces an opportunity to shine.

Here’s a look at the nine tight ends listed on the 2022 Florida Gators fall roster.

See also:

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Running Backs

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Offensive Line

2022 Tennessee football: Vols’ tight ends preview

2022 Tennessee football: Vols’ tight ends preview

Tennessee will kick off fall training camp Aug. 1 ahead of the 2022 season under second-year head coach Josh Heupel.

The Vols finished the 2021 season with a 7-6 record and an appearance in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl against Purdue.

Tennessee will kick off its 2022 season Sept. 1 against Ball State at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the season-opening matchup.

PHOTOS: Vols signage returns to Neyland Stadium

Ahead of fall training camp, Vols Wire looks at Tennessee’s tight ends on roster. Below are Tennessee’s tight ends and their listed classification, height and weight for the 2022 season.

Dawson Knox on O.J. Howard: ‘It’s going to be a nightmare’ for defenses

Dawson Knox on O.J. Howard: ‘It’s going to be a nightmare’ for defenses:

Bills TE Dawson Knox had a breakout year in 2021, taking the next step many had been looking for since he was selected by Buffalo with the 96th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.

At 6’4 and 254 lb with 33 and 1/2 arms and 9 3/4 hands, the 25-year-old is looking to build on a campaign last season in which he broke the Bills single-season franchise record for touchdowns by a TE, finishing with nine total scoring catches on the year.

Even still, while addressing the press this week Knox made it clear he “Still got stuff to prove”.

What’s more, he spoke about one of the Bills newest additions to his position group and how they might play a role in that on-field production.

“It’s fun having guys like O.J. in the room, there’s going to be a lot of diversity, a lot of versatility with the position now”, Knox said during his media vailability.

During free agency this offseason, GM Brandon Beane added TE O.J. Howard to the depth chart behind Knox.

And the new Bills TE does offer some size.

At 27 years old, the former first-round pick in 2017 by the Bucs is 6’6 and 251 lbs with 33 and 3/4 arms and 10 hands.

“I mean he’s a freak athlete,” Knox added. “He makes me feel small, I mean the dude’s like you know 6’6, his arms are massive. Just having another weapon like that’s just gonna make us that much harder to stop, so I think he’s just going to push me to be better too I think.”

Howard’s development at the pro level may have been stifled once he saw less on-field gameplay experience behind Buffalo native Rob Gronkowski in Tampa. With the Bills focus on player development in Buffalo and a team-friendly one-year pact between them,  he will have that chance to take the next step as well.

“The better the room is as a whole, the better each individual is going to be as well,” Knox continued. “But it’s going to be fun to bring us in, run the ball some, then spread us out, get us good matchups on linebackers

Howard has the potential to compliment and offer position depth behind Knox, who has developed better movement and skills at the NFL level.

Howard can have difficulty on routes getting a jump and separation on defenders due to a lack of quickness in and out of breaks.

While he’ll be challenged to improve in those areas, one of the things that he offers the Bills offense and new OC Ken Dorsey is the ability to run more two-plus TE sets.

Per ESPN Stats & Information, the Bills ran only 100 plays with two-or-more tight ends during the 2021 season which was the lowest in the NFL.

Knox is confident Howard can be the addition that changes that.

“It’s just an extra piece that you know is going to be a nightmare to defend for defenses right? Oh yeah, we can’t wait. It’s going to be a nightmare for a lot of defenses.”

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Ravens TE Mark Andrews receives high rating in Madden NFL 23

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews received a high rating in Madden NFL 23.

Training camp is fast approaching, which means this year’s addition of Madden NFL will be released sooner rather than later. Ahead of its release date, every year the video game franchise will spend days dropping the overall ratings of players throughout the league.

On Monday, the initial ratings were revealed for wide receivers and tight ends. No Ravens’ wide receiver made the video game franchise’s top 10 list. However when it came to tight ends, a fan-favorite in Baltimore was ranked as a top-three tight end.

Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews received a 93 overall ranking, good for the No. 3 spot at his position. Andrews moved up one spot from last year, when he was the No. 4 tight end in the game, swapping with former Ravens’ and current Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller.

A big portion of why Andrews is ranked highly in Madden is because of certain individual ratings. The tight end has a 98 awareness, 95 catch, 90 acceleration and 86 speed. His “spectacular catch” and “catch in traffic” rating are both an 89. Tight ends Travis Kelce (98) and George Kittle (97) were the two tight ends ranked ahead of Andrews.

Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and his play on the field since he has entered the league in 2018 backs that up. Through his first four seasons, Andrews notched 263 receptions for 3,466 yards and 29 touchdowns on 389 targets. Andrews was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl and was a First-Team AP All-Pro in 2021.

Ranking the AFC West tight ends

Ranking the AFC West Tight Ends heading into the 2022 NFL season

It’s not exactly fair to rank the AFC West as a simple 1-4 at tight end. Mainly because there are two of the top tight ends in the entire NFL sharing the division and a sizable gap after that. But that’s just the reality of things.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Starter: Travis Kelce

Kelce has been the best tight end in football over the past six seasons now and has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s been seven years since he even had less than 1000 yards in a season. And a season ago, he was a unanimous All-Pro with over 1400 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

Starter: Darren Waller

In most divisions in football, Waller would stand atop the tight end rankings. But sharing a division with Kelce unfortunately keeps him in the backseat. Not that the Raiders are complaining at all. Waller is one of the top weapons at any position in the league.

A year ago, Waller set a new single-season franchise record with 107 catches. He is a mismatch for any linebacker and gives safeties all they can handle. This opens things up for everyone else even when he doesn’t get the ball.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Starter: Gerald Everett

On the plus side, Everett has seen his numbers improve each of his five seasons in the NFL. On the negative side, he that has brought him to a career-high 478 yards. At 27 years old, he should be still in his prime, so he could very well put up very good numbers for the Chargers. I would have said a change of scenery, but he came over from the Rams so he’ll be calling the same stadium home.

4. Denver Broncos

Starter: Albert Okwuegbunam

A fourth-round pick a couple of years ago, he will have a shot to be the full-time starter this season after six starts in 2021. The team also added Greg Dulcich who they selected in the third round of this year’s draft to compete for reps.

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