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Jason Witten's receptions streak ends at 130 games after catch wiped out

Eric Edholm

Lost a bit in the postgame shuffle of the Dallas Cowboys beating the Minnesota Vikings and running their record to 11-1 was the fact that for the first time in 130 games, Cowboys tight end Jason Witten did not catch a pass.

Actually, Witten did — but it didn’t count. With just under 12 minutes remaining, Dak Prescott hit Witten for an 11-yard catch on 3rd and 8 for what would have been a big conversion as the Cowboys tried to close out the game, but the play was called back on a clear hold by Ezekiel Elliott. Dang rookies! Witten would not see an official target for the entire game as Prescott attempted a mere 18 passes.

Witten played all 52 snaps on offense, plus four more on special teams, including corralling the Vikings’ final-gasp onsides kick attempt to seal the victory. Call it a catch if you want to, it just won’t change the record books.

Thursday night was the first time Jason Witten didn't catch a pass in 130 games. This one was called back. (AP)
Thursday night was the first time Jason Witten didn’t catch a pass in 130 games. This one was called back. (AP)

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“Those records really don’t mean anything,” Witten said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I still have a lot of confidence in my ability and feel I can play at a high level. A big part of that is making catches.

“But it’s just one of those games. Those things happen. You go through it. It’s not on one particular situation. That’s just the way the game went. I’m thankful and excited to be 11-1, much more than having a catch.”

But Witten’s streak was pretty remarkable. As a rookie in 2003, Witten had four games in which he failed to catch a pass. In the 13 seasons (and counting) since then, he’s had two such games — one in 2008 in which he left the game early with an injury and Thursday night’s game. That 2008 game? Witten played with a broken rib, wearing a flak jacket. He might not have had a catch, but he made the tackle on Giants corner Corey Webster after Brad Johnson’s pass in Witten’s direction was picks. (Witten had three targets that game, and two were intercepted; the other INT came via Brooks Bollinger.)

So prior to Thursday night, Witten had caught at least one pass in 215 of his past 216 games. Only 14 of those games were one-reception outings, in case you’re curious. He also had nine games along that way with 10 or more grabs, including 13- and 18-catch games in the month of October 2012. During the streak — which lasted 2,951 calendar days — Witten caught 678 passes for 7,236 yards and 39 TDs.

It’s a long time,” Witten said. “Of course, you’d like to get a catch. I don’t remember [the 2008 Giants game]. I probably won’t remember this one other than we got the win. I’m playing for much more than catches. [I had] a couple of opportunities, that’s just the way it went.”

The longest consecutive-games streak with at least one reception is a stunning 274 by Jerry Rice, but consider that the next best in NFL history is Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald’s 190, which is still going. Other long active consecutive streaks include Brandon Marshall (155) and Steve Smith Sr. (138).

But Witten’s streak, though shorter than those, shouldn’t go overlooked. The 34-year-old has been one of the NFL’s best iron men and most dependable pass-catching outlets for 14 years now. Who knows when his career will be over? But if he’s not a Hall of Famer within five or six year of his eventual retirement, it would be a shock. There are few more respected players in the game today, and he’s quietly a massive reason why the young Cowboys have taken the league by storm this season.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!