Austin no longer in shadows of Dallas Cowboys’ offense

Posted Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009 Comments   (0) Print Share Share Reprints
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By CHAREAN WILLIAMS

cjwilliams@star-telegram.com

ARLINGTON — Miles Austin insists he is not the Dallas Cowboys’ No. 1 receiver. Even after the best back-to-back receiving games in team history.

"No. No. No," Austin said emphatically. "I’m Miles Austin. How are you?"

As if he needed an introduction.

That was made two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs when Austin set a single-game team record with 250 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches. The Atlanta Falcons "held" Austin to six receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 37-21 victory.

"Because of what happened two weeks ago, if he wouldn’t have played like this, people would have been second-guessing. 'Well, he’s a one-hit wonder,’ " Cowboys receivers coach Ray Sherman said. "That’s why I told him to keep everything in check and just go about your business the right way and things will always have a way of working out, and he did that, and he had another big game for us."

Austin topped Lance Rentzel’s 42-year-old team record for most yards in consecutive games. Rentzel had 368 in back-to-back games.

"That’s great," Austin said. "Let’s keep it going."

Austin was asked whether he knew how many yards he had in the past two games.

"A hundred and seventy-one plus ..." Austin said, pausing, forgetting how many yards he had against the Chiefs.

It adds up to Austin being Romo’s favorite target, if not the team’s No. 1 receiver. Roy Williams has the contract, but Austin has the stats this season.

"[Austin has become] a good wide receiver in the NFL," said Romo, who targeted Austin eight times in 29 attempts. "Before that, the perception of him was of a third, fourth, fifth type of guy. I think you saw he has the ability to be a guy that can be a big-play receiver. I feel very confident in him."

Austin, an undrafted free agent in 2006 out of Monmouth, entered this season with only 18 career catches for 354 yards and three touchdowns. In the first four games this season, Austin had five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown.

In the past two games, he has 16 catches, 421 yards and four touchdowns.

Austin, 25, has become the man, the myth and the legend that the Cowboys had built him up to be when they released Terrell Owens over the off-season.

"Miles is a guy since we been here you always saw ability," Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "What you didn’t always see was consistent play. You saw him make these plays in practice. But in games, when he had opportunities, the consistency thing wasn’t always there. That’s something he worked on all through training camp, and he has done a great job taking advantage of his opportunities."

Now that Austin has done it twice in a row, can the third time be another charm? The Cowboys are counting on it.

"I knew he could be unbelievable if he would just work on the little things, do the little things, focus on the little things," Sherman said. "Now, he’s starting to do that. He’s starting to understand. Now, to me, I think the sky is the limit for him if he just continues to do those things and not get big-headed. Just keep working, keep doing all the little things and he’s going to be fine."

Charean Williams, 817-390-7760

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