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Five Storylines: How Oklahoma State Players Fared in Week 9 of the NFL

Washington turns in career game, and Jarwin is the Giant Slayer.

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[Credit: Steelers.com]

It was an eventful Week 9 in the NFL with several former Cowboys showing out. So let’s jump right into the top five storylines for Pokes in the Pros.

1. Washington’s Career Game

Now halfway through his second season, James Washington has been unable to claim the Steelers’ No. 2 receiver spot.

Despite the exodus of Antonio Brown and the reins of the offense being handed to his former college teammate Mason Rudolph, Washington currently ranks fourth in receiving yards and T3 in targets behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie receiver Diontae Johnson. What’s worse, he came into Sunday’s game sporting an abysmal 37-percent catch rate.

But in the Steelers’ 26-24 win over the Colts, everything was clicking for Washington. He caught all four of his targets for a career-high 69 yards, including a pair of impressive grabs.

Washington hauled in this catch to move the chains on third down that looked near impossible.

But this one-handed snag was even more impressive.

Whether or not this signals a turning of the tide for the second-year wideout remains to be seen but, if nothing else, Sunday’s game should give Washington and his coaches confidence in his abilities moving forward.

Mason Rudolph finished the game 26 of 35 for 191 yards, one TD and one interception. He’s now 3-2 as a starter and the Steelers sit two games back of the lead in the AFC North.

2. Chris Carson Helps Push ‘Hawks to Comeback Win

After a slow start, Carson was able to reach the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season as well as help push the Seahawks to a come-from-behind 40-34 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the fumble issues that plagued him in the first three games of the season, crept back up on Carson, who put two balls on the turf. He hadn’t fumbled since Week 3.

One of them was essentially a tackle when speedy rookie linebacker Devin White ran him down and punched the ball out of bounds, marring an impressive and highlight-reel worthy run.

Carson and the Seahawks will a have tough task next Monday when they head to Santa Clara to face the unbeaten 49ers who sport the No. 2 defense in the NFL and rank fourth in turnover percentage. He may need to take notes from Spencer Sanders (two mitts on the ball).

3. Jarwin, the Giant Slayer

During the Cowboys’ 37-18 Monday Night Football win over the Giants, a black cat walked across the field spelling bad luck for the home team and good luck for Blake Jarwin.

Here’s an all-time call from Kevin Harlan in case you missed it.

Shortly after the feline visitor was ushered into the tunnel, Jarwin scooped this low throw from Dak Prescott and scampered 42 yards to the end zone for his third touchdown of the season.

Jarwin has six career touchdown catches. Amazingly, five have come against the Giants. Four have come in MetLife Stadium.

Despite the highlight reel play, this was Jarwin’s only target on the night. His looks have suffered with the return of Jason Witten from retirement, but he continues to make the most of his opportunities when targeted.

And it never hurts to call in a favor from a former teammate.

4. Marcell Ateman Goes Deep

Ateman’s status with the Oakland Raiders has been shaky at best through his first two seasons. He started both years on the practice squad only being promoted to the active roster when injuries dictated it.

Last season he showed promise down the stretch starting six of seven games and amassing 154 yards and a touchdown. This season he’s seen the field in just three games but has already shown his ability to hit a big play.

After turning his lone target against Green Bay into a 36-yard catch the week before, Ateman turned his one target against Detroit into a 34-yard play.

5. Vincent Taylor’s Debut

The former All-Big 12 defensive tackle made his 2019 debut after the Buffalo Bills promoted Taylor from the practice squad on Friday, and he proved to be productive with the opportunity he was given.

Despite having just two days to prepare, Taylor made the most of his limited reps. He played nine snaps on defense and three on special teams but turned those into three tackles and a tackle for loss. The Bills moved to 6-2 with their 24-9 win over the Redskins.

Over his two seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Taylor was among the highest-graded interior linemen in the NFL. He was cut by the team, under a new coaching regime, in early September and quickly landed in Buffalo, but spent all year on the practice squad until this past Friday.

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