Can WR Tavon Austin give the Cowboys offense a jolt of juice heading into the playoffs?

While Sunday’s season finale against the New York Giants is an otherwise meaningless game to the NFC East Champion Dallas Cowboys (9-6), who are locked into the fourth seed and will host either the Seattle Seahawks or Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card playoffs next week, it will provide a launching pad for the return of speedy receiver Tavon Austin.

Austin, who has missed the last nine games with a groin tear, will play against the Giants to get some game action before the playoffs, where the Cowboys hope he can add juice to the offense and provide a game-breaking element on returns.

Through six games this season, Austin had seven receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard score in the first meeting against the Giants. He’s also rushed six times for 55 yards, including an 18-yard run and had a 22-yard punt return.

Austin says he feels better than any time since the start of the season.

And the Cowboys plan on using him.

“Tavon has the ability to make big plays,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “He is going to feel like a guy with fresh legs. He looks like a guy who is really going to go out and give us a jolt in the passing game with his threat of being able to get down the field. He is a guy we can put in at any receiver position to have some explosive plays.”

Quarterback Dak Prescott is excited about having Austin and receiver Amari Cooper on the field together for the first time.

Cooper, acquired in a trade with Oakland Raiders during the bye week two weeks after Austin was injured, has brought explosion to the passing game over the past eight weeks while leading the Cowboys to a 6-2 mark.

“It opens everything,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “It opens up everything honestly. Tavon is a playmaker and when you get a playmaker on the field you got to get him the ball any way you can. When playmakers are on the field they make plays. Just offering that other element to the offense and the energy and juice he brings is going to be great.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2018 at 12:39 PM.