Dez not living up to expectations? really

[Hoofbite]

Well, I sure didn't expect inconsistent play week in and week out, not knowing where to go in the 3rd year and dropping balls at an alarming rate.

People weren't talking about Dez being "good" or "very good".

"Great" and "best" were the descriptors I remember.

[Mr Cowboy]

if you're looking at stats, check dropped passes, and how many plays where they didn't know where to line up or ran the wrong route.

[Prossman]

Dez dropped balls last game but i dont remember him having bad games before that one.

[RoyTheHammer]

Originally Posted by Hoofbite

Well, I sure didn't expect inconsistent play week in and week out, not knowing where to go in the 3rd year and dropping balls at an alarming rate.

People weren't talking about Dez being "good" or "very good".

"Great" and "best" were the descriptors I remember.

I don't recall him not knowing where to go this year or dropping balls at an alarming rate.

Shall we expect more exaggeration in your next reply, as well?

[goshan]

Originally Posted by Prossman

Dez dropped balls last game but i dont remember him having bad games before that one.

LOL. Uninformed fan alert?

[RS12]

Originally Posted by RoyTheHammer

I don't recall him not knowing where to go this year or dropping balls at an alarming rate.

You must have missed the Bears game. Three drops and not breaking off the route lead to the first pick of the game. Other than that he was great.

[Oh_Canada]

I look forward to Dez making a few Cowboy fans eat serious crow.

[KJJ]

Originally Posted by Prossman

Dez not liveing up to expectaions? really
« Thread Started Today at 10:17pm »
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Bryant first 31 games: 129 catches for 1758 yards and 15 TDs
Pearson first 31 games: 97 catches for 1771 yards and 3 TDs
Irvin first 31 games: 77 catches for 1429 yards and 12 TDs

Somehow i think people are jumping the gun a little bit on Dez!

Those stats are misleading because the game was a lot different when Drew Pearson played. The NFL wasn't near the pass happy league we see today. The Cowboy team Pearson played for during his prime years in the 70's didn't throw the ball near as much as the Cowboys do today Staubach's numbers compared to Romo's speak to that.

Even though the Cowboys didn't throw the ball a lot Pearson hit his stride during his second year putting up a career high 62 catches for 1067 yards. Dez put up 63 catches for 928 yards during his second season. Pearson was an undrafted FA who played QB in college and was converted to a WR only 2 years before signing with the Cowboys. Dez was a #! pick and was viewed as the best receiver in his draft class.

As for Irvin he played on a 3-13 Cowboy team his rookie year that had a number of issues including issues at QB. The team was a wreck and he was unable to produce much. That ended up being Tom Landry's last season. The following season in 89 the Cowboys were even worse than in 88 because Jimmy had to tear the Cowboys down and build them back up. Irvin only played 6 games that season due to an ACL injury. In 1990 he was coming off the ACL and played 12 games that season. The Cowboys were still going through a major rebuilding process and Aikman was going through his growing pains as a young QB. All of this affected Irvin's production.

It took Irvin 4 seasons to hit his stride having to deal with a rebuilding team, an ACL injury and the growing pains of a young Troy Aikman. Pearson, Irvin and Dez all played in different eras with different situations. Dez has been given the most opportunities of any of those receivers at this stage in his career because the Cowboys don't have a Tony Dorsett or an Emmitt Smith and because the Cowboys are a pass first team. The Cowboys can't run the ball especially over the goal line so they have to put the ball up.

[Gameover]

victor cruz and a.j green would be better comparisons

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Originally Posted by RoyTheHammer

I don't recall him not knowing where to go this year or dropping balls at an alarming rate.

Shall we expect more exaggeration in your next reply, as well?

What is wrong with you? Don't you know we're supposed to act like Dez is a scrub and blame him for everything?

[hornitosmonster]

Originally Posted by CyberB0b

Different era.

Bingo. Dez is not living up to expectations

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Threads like this are laughable!

Those who defend Dez do so by comparing him to other receivers via statistics.

There are 2 problems with that:

First, statistics don't ever tell the whole story and often are void of more relevant information that is unaccountable.

Secondly, and more importantly, the heart of the Dez criticisms have NOTHING to do with how he measures against other receivers; instead they are about how he measures against his own potential.

It's evident by now that Dez is uncertain of the playbook. He still disappears in the second half of games. It's even evident he often runs the wrong routes and over-improvises (I.e. what Parcells referred to as street ball).

It's also evident that Bryant has some pretty good stats. So imagine what he could do production wise if he played two halves of football, knew the playbook and ran good routes. Simply put, he'd be off the charts. That's his potential but he's far from reaching it; hence the criticism is fair and justified.

[RoyTheHammer]

Originally Posted by RS12

You must have missed the Bears game. Three drops and not breaking off the route lead to the first pick of the game. Other than that he was great.

How many drops does he have on the season?

..and on the route in question, both Tony and Dez were required to make a read. Dez read the DB attacking the play and coming up immediately, so he moved to get behind him. Still not sure he's the one who made the bad read there. If Tony had read the same thing, that DB is beat no question.

[RoyTheHammer]

Originally Posted by AMERICAS_FAN

It's evident by now that Dez is uncertain of the playbook. He still disappears in the second half of games. It's even evident he often runs the wrong routes and over-improvises (I.e. what Parcells referred to as street ball).

Can we cut the hyperbole with the routes and the playbook crap already?

Show me some evidence that Dez isn't running the right routes or point me to someone on the team or a coach that says he doesn't know the plays.. or else be quiet and stop acting like you know what's going on.

I have yet to hear a coach or a player say that Dez is still struggling with the playbook this year or not running the correct routes.

Don't sit here and tell me that "oh its evident" that Dez isn't running the right routes or is uncertain of the playbook when you have no idea what he's supposed to be running or what the plays call for.. it just sounds ridiculous.

[Prossman]

When u think of Irvin or pearson you think of their entire body of work. Probowls big plays in big games. Not how they started. Years of work behind them. Neither of them walked into the nfl and were instantly the best wr in the game. It like the "Sean Lee is no Ray Lewis argument" Is Dez as good as Irvin or Pearsons entire career? NO! But he is as good as they were at this point in their careers. He has busted his rear this offseason, he knows the playbook, and his routes are as good as any other wr on this team. The Romo int was about Romo reading one thing and Dez seeing another.