News: Dallas Cowboys: Time to lower expectations for Dez Bryant

[ActualCowboysFan]

How many catches did he have?

Enough for the team to win all of the games.

 

[Cebrin]

I get tired of this. Here's the brutal truth:

Dez Bryant now plays on a RUN FIRST football team. He's never gonna put up Julio Jones or Antonio Brown #'s where he gets 300+ yards over 2-3 games. It's simply NOT going to happen. Unlike OBJ with the Giants, over 30% of our offense does not run through Dez. Never has, never will. This is not a limited offense & people who think Dez is 'limiting' our offense have it exactly backwards.

Not only does Dez Bryant play on a RUN FIRST offense, when the ball IS thrown, what makes this Cowboys offense so dangerous is that we're NOT limited to just 1-2 good receivers. We have at least 4 legitimate threats running around out there. Bryant, TWill, Beasely and Witten. Brice Butler is emerging into a threat as well. And we need to get Elliott more involved catching out of the backfield.

Dak isn't there yet with Romo's touch ability/anticipation to get the ball past the double coverage Dez draws. He may get there soon, though. In the meantime we have 4-5 other receivers feasting on the single coverage they draw.

Careful now! Don't be logical!

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Dez has great ... good potential.

 

[Hoofbite]

Dallas Cowboys: Time to lower expectations for Dez Bryant

...Everyone that plays against the Cardinals knows they have to cover Larry Fitzgerald. How is it possible that he ends the game with 13 receptions on 15 targets for 149 yards and a touchdown?

One guy is a professional, the other is an athlete.

 

[Galian Beast]

That is the Prescott effect.

He is less accurate than Romo. Less willing to work the ball down the field as well.

The combination is bad for Dez, who is now only getting short throws primarily.

Prescott needs to learn to trust his receivers and not overuse Jason Witten...

 

[Redball Express]

I'd fear him if I was in a situation where I offended the stuffing out of him in a dark alley and we both felt threatened before our interaction.

I know... Kind of specific.

Sorta.

Haha..

I think people expect him to change clothes in a phone booth and come out with leotards and a cape.

There are few players who were receivers that were equal to or better than Dez.

Michael Irvin

Drew Pearson

Bobby Hayes..

Buddy Dial

Frank Clarke

Todd Christianson

Pete Gent

Lance Rentzel

Raymond Berry

Billy Joe Duprey

Jay Novachek

Mike Ditka

Tony Hill

Preston Pearson

and a bunch unmentioned here..

Dez is right there..

always will be.

You can keep OBJ's leg lifting or one handed catch

this is a real player

If the video is blocked..hit Watch on YouTube

 

[Corso]

Sorta.

Haha..

I think people expect him to change clothes in a phone booth and come out with leotards and a cape.

There are few players who were receivers that were equal to or better than Dez.

Michael Irvin

Drew Pearson

Bobby Hayes..

Buddy Dial

Frank Clarke

Todd Christianson

Pete Gent

Lance Rentzel

Raymond Berry

Billy Joe Duprey

Jay Novachek

Mike Ditka

Tony Hill

Preston Pearson

and a bunch unmentioned here..

Dez is right there..

always will be.

You're one of my favorites, Redball. No doubt. Would love to have a beer with you sometime.

 

[Redball Express]

You're one of my favorites, Redball. No doubt. Would love to have a beer with you sometime.

You too brother..

that drink..

no problem.

 

[vaturkey]

I think Dez just needs to consistently get open more often. Almost every pass thrown to him is contested. He has to either run better more precise routes, or they need to scheme better to get him open. He must telegraphy what routes he is going to run, because these DBs seem to really have him figured out lately.

 

[Verdict]

Getting the offense less Dez dependent should be high up on the priority list.

Spot on

 

[Verdict]

I think Dez just needs to consistently get open more often. Almost every pass thrown to him is contested. He has to either run better more precise routes, or they need to scheme better to get him open. He must telegraphy what routes he is going to run, because these DBs seem to really have him figured out lately.

It's not all that hard to figure out since he only runs a couple of routes and he can't get any separation on them.

 

[Verdict]

That is the Prescott effect.

He is less accurate than Romo. Less willing to work the ball down the field as well.

The combination is bad for Dez, who is now only getting short throws primarily.

Prescott needs to learn to trust his receivers and not overuse Jason Witten...

He needs to quit forcing it to Dez and he will be fine like he was last year.

 

[Risen Star]

It's not all that hard to figure out since he only runs a couple of routes and he can't get any separation on them.

His career will not end well. He thinks he's a superstar but has never developed the route running that can extend a career as your athleticism declines. He'll be a completely shot player demanding the football.

We need to overhaul the WR position.

 

[Verdict]

His career will not end well. He thinks he's a superstar but has never developed the route running that can extend a career as your athleticism declines. He'll be a completely shot player demanding the football.

We need to overhaul the WR position.

We are paying him way too much for him to be an average receiver.

 

[Tabascocat]

Wow, some of you guys

I understand that Dez can disappear at times but it is not solely on him. I have seen similar players put up far greater numbers. Our system is terrible if everything is not clicking. If one cog in the wheel fails, it all breaks down.

Put Dez in ATL, NE, GB and some tunes will change. He is not utilized properly here. It can't be that difficult to learn a couple new routes each season.....he is probably not asked to! You can't use your best weapon in the same monotonous routes game after game.

He is put into position to fail by this outdated offensive scheme, the sooner people realize this the better. Our offensive strategy has major problems when the other team, does in fact, stop us. There is minimal creativity and scheming to beat a defense, just beat your man only goes so far. When that breaks down, you see the scheme for what it is......insufficient.

Dez is fine. The way Dez is used is not!

 

[vaturkey]

Wonder if Dez runs any option routes like you see with Witten or Beasly? To me all the routes are predetermined and that makes them easier to defend. Seems like Witten/Beasly have some routes where they have an option based on what they see from the defender once the ball is snapped. Maybe he doesn't have the quickness/change of direction skills of Beasly, or the preciseness of Witten.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

PLEASE start underestimating him. Does Dallas have a Patrick Peterson to follow Fitz all game? We threw three more times overall as a team as Fitz had targets. Game flow also dictates targets. I've never seen a more highly scrutinized player.

 

[Pants]

Dallas pretty much employs a bend/don't break defense...that feeds into Fitz' game at this point in his career,,,not making excuses, just saying Dez isn't in that mode quite yet...IMO, Dez is criminally mis-used...they don't do much to get him in good situations for him...he is a big, strong dude as evidenced in the TD last week...so, why not give him more crossing patterns? he will get hit more, but he can use said strength to break some tackles, get more touches, first downs, etc....if nothing else. let him come across and block on sweeps to his side...him getting in some action is what is important, not just telling him "go run pattern A" on first down and "go run pattern B" on 2nd down....defenses know what he is going to be doing so mix it up

That being said, man, a Dallas team without Dez, I just don't know how I would feel about that....I kinda feel dirty thinking about it when I don't think the production is his fault

Last, my conundrum in my FFL is I get to start 2 WRs and possibly a 3rd as the flex position...do I start him when I also have both NE WRs (Hogan and Amendola), Evans (TB) and Fitz (against 49ers and their other WRs are out or hurt)...Evans is playing the giants, so there is that

 

[percyhoward]

That is the Prescott effect.

No, it's actually the Bryant effect. Prescott is #1 in passer rating on 15+yard throws since he came into the NFL, even though Dez's targets bring that number down quite a bit, as also happened in Romo's last two full seasons.

And Dez is not getting any fewer 15+yard targets with Dak either. In fact, Bryant's share of these targets is greater than ever with Prescott.

15+ yard targets
(2016-17) Prescott to...
Bryant 17 of 43 (40%) 461 yd 5 td 1 int 108.7
others 31 of 57 (54%) 815 yd 7 td 0 int 139.0

(2013-14) Romo to...
Bryant 30 of 75 (40%) 982 yd 7 td 3 int 101.9
others 52 of 108 (48%) 1415 yd 14 td 2 int 126.1

(2010-12) Romo to...
Bryant 38 of 74 (51%) 1151 yd 11 td 2 int 125.2
others 72 of 154 (47%) 2134 yd 17 td 15 int 90.3

In case anybody's wondering, that disparity between Bryant and his teammates since 2013 is not the norm.

 

[Section446]

Just accept him for what he is, an average WR.