Normally a fiery competitor is what wins championships for teams. However, the Dallas Cowboys seem to have one in wide receiver Dez Bryant, but many are saying his emotional outbursts are juvenile. Yesterday, the Cowboys had another disappointing loss in the last few seconds with Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford leading his team down the field without any pressure from the Cowboys’ defense. Some felt that the outburst was less about the loss and more about his performance compared to Calvin Johnson’s historic day.
Bryant was seen on camera twice yelling at teammates and assistant coaches. Once early in the game before Bryant got any targets, and at the end of the game with a heated exchange between Bryant and tight end Jason Witten. DeMarcus Ware, who did not play, had to step in and calm Bryant down. Witten admitted that Dez is like a little brother and that they hugged in the locker room. Was it smart to explode on the sidelines in front of cameras and millions of fans? Probably not, but maybe it will wake up the Cowboys who seem to settle for mediocrity.
Over the past three seasons, the Cowboys have proven that they have the talent to make it to the Super Bowl, but they always fall short in the last week. While, there is no way anyone on that team is happy to see their team collapse year after year, it has to be somewhat positive to finally see some emotion from a player. The timing, however, could have been better. A team should never turn on one another and that is exactly what it looked like yesterday. This probably would have been more productive in the locker room without cameras and everyone judging a team that is already under intense scrutiny.
Final verdict, the intent was a positive sign for the Cowboys, but the timing was atrocious. The game was not over and there should never be a time where players should yell at coaches. Did jealousy factor in as Megatron amassed 329 yards? I would say so, but more so frustration that his quarterback was not looking for him to make the big plays happen.
The Cowboys immediately went into damage control with head coach Jason Garrett telling the media, “Dez has never been a distraction to our football team. He is a really positive asset to our team — on the field and off. The way he works, his passion for the ballgame; that’s good stuff.” Whether or not, it was a positive outburst or not we will never know because he is a distraction because he is inviting the media to scrutinize how he acts on the sideline when it should never come into play. Bryant is a great wide receiver on the field, and his outbursts should not overshadow that. However, that is not reality and all week players will be asked about this during practice.
