Taking a quick look at the Dallas Cowboys' offensive roster, it's easy to look at veteran Miles Austin as the team's No. 3 receiving option. It's not because Austin doesn't have talent, but just look at the guys around him.
Tony Romo's No. 1 option is without a doubt Dez Bryant, who is poised to have a huge season after the way he closed last year and is probably a top 2-3 wideout in the league now behind the likes of Calvin Johnson, and maybe no one else. After Bryant, it's Jason Witten, the veteran tight end who has always been Romo's safety outlet.
Then, there's Austin, the undrafted free agent who burst on to the scene when Terrell Owens couldn't play a game against Kansas City and was instantly vaulted into stardom while putting up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He's recently dealt with nagging injuries over the past two seasons that have curbed his effectiveness.
On Sunday night, he showed he's not to be overlooked when he led the Cowboys with 10 catches for 72 yards. Conversely, Bryant had four catches for 22 yards while he was constantly double-teamed. On Sunday, Austin caught short dump-offs in space and picked up minimal yardage, as evidenced by his yards per catch average of just north of 7 yards. But he can still stretch the field, as well.
With Bryant likely to be double-teamed just about every play for the entirety of the season, Austin has a chance to have a huge season if he can stay healthy, and Sunday night was a great start toward that objective.
