Peyton Place: Rookie TE Hendershot Becomes Cowboys Latest Preseason ‘Legend’

The dialog round Dallas Cowboys tight ends with helmet woes typically facilities across the visible of Jason Witten barreling down the sideline of Lincoln Monetary Discipline throughout a 2007 win in Philadelphia. 

Trendy NFL guidelines forestall such a play today. Final Dallas die-hards will recall that the rule prevented reserve rusher Phillip Tanner from a helmetless rating throughout an exhibition in 2013. 

But, skull craziness performed a task in establishing a brand new hero in cult Cowboy lore. 

As Dallas embarked upon a game-winning drive in Friday’s preseason finale in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks, freshman tight finish Peyton Hendershot was poised to play a giant function within the trek, getting issues began with a 30-yard achieve on the opening play. The unique 15-yard achieve, earned off a reception from Ben DiNucci, doubled after Seattle’s Deontai Williams was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet private foul. 

Alas for Hendershot, Williams’ unlawful hit had lasting penalties, damaging his head safety’s padding and chinstrap. Wanting to get again on the sphere, Hendershot turned to relative disguise to get again on the sphere, assuming the function of teammate and fellow rookie Jake Ferguson.

“We have been simply standing (on the sidelines), we have been ready for the tools individuals to convey me a helmet and nobody was bringing me a helmet,” Hendershot recalled. “I stated ‘simply give me your helmet bro.’ He gave me his helmet and I went in there.”

The gambit paid off: Hendershot’s commandeering got here simply because the Cowboys (2-1) have been getting into the purple zone. On the sixth and remaining play of a 75-yard trek, Hendershot earned a rating from 14, dodging 4 defenders in 10 yards after the catch, ok for the profitable distinction of the 27-26 victory. 

With Dallas emptying the bench because the preseason rolled down, the freshman free agent Hendershot was the workforce’s prime receiver with 39 yards on a trio of receptions. Ferguson, a fourth-round decide from the spring, added 15 yards on two receptions and ends the summer time because the workforce’s summer time lead with seven receptions on seven targets (76 yards). Hendershot was proper behind him with six grabs, with 47 of his 52 yards coming after the catch over the postseason trio. 

With their profitable summers within the rearview mirror, the approaching fall presents a possibility for each Ferguson and Hendershot to play roles within the long-term way forward for post-Witten tight finish endeavors, particularly with Dalton Schultz’s Dallas future blurry. Head coach Mike McCarthy was amongst these well-pleased with the younger tandem’s efforts. 

“I like the way in which these guys play. You discuss two rookies who’ve are available and have accomplished a wonderful job. You possibly can see the way in which they picked it up: the apply tempo, the self-discipline, the additional hours, all of the little things- and I believe it undoubtedly carries over in the way in which they play,” McCarthy stated. “We had two tight ends tonight and I assumed these guys not solely carried the load, however I assumed they carried out extraordinarily properly.”

Hendershot will know the place his NFL future lies by Tuesday when the Cowboys and their NFL brethren are pressured to slice their rosters to 53 males in time for the common season. With Schultz and Ferguson all however locked onto the common ledger, his foremost competitors will probably be third-year veteran Sean McKeon (with McKeon an IR candidate).

The Indiana alum hopes issues pan out if solely to proceed working together with his fellow Large Ten veteran Ferguson. Regardless that the 2 have matching NFL expertise, Hendershot seems like he can be taught probably the most from one other rookie.

“I used to be down within the dumps within the third quarter, and he began speaking to me and getting my spirits up excessive. He introduced nothing however good out of me and have been nice teammates to me and I’m very appreciative of all of them,” Hendershot stated of Ferguson’s help. “It’s cool being right here with Jake as a result of we each form of went via the identical course of altogether. It simply makes it higher when you’ve got somebody there to do it with you.”

“I like Jake, he’s been an superior teammate. At any time when all that stuff was happening, he was proper there by my aspect and after I broke my helmet, he truly gave me his helmet so I might go rating with it … Jake’s my man and I respect him.”

Dallas opens its common season in Sept. 11 in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7:20 p.m. CT, NBC). 

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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