Dallas Cowboys will focus on getting the ball to Dez Bryant more often

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) on the field during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at AT

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most physically gifted wide receivers in the NFL in Dez Bryant, and he’s generally been amazing this year with 52 receptions for 749 yards and eight touchdowns. Bryant’s ability to draw coverage away from the other receivers in the Cowboys offense is instrumental to this team’s success at times,  but it’s his own elite ability to make plays in the passing game that helps set the Cowboys passing offense apart.

Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys are coming off of a very disappointing game both on the field and on the stat sheet. The Cowboys were blown out by the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football, and Bryant was only targeted twice in the passing game. Although he did manage to take his one catch 44 yards, Bryant was constantly double-teamed by aggressive coverage from the Saints. Chalk it up as a huge day for Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who really showed up the team that he felt fired him undeservingly (it’s too late to regret it now, Jerry). Keenan Lewis did a fantastic job on Bryant in press coverage, and one thing that shouldn’t get lost in this talk regarding Bryant is the fact that Tony Romo wasn’t getting it done on Sunday; that definitely hurt Bryant as well.

And yet, the Cowboys could still do a better job of targeting Bryant more often in the passing game, because wide receivers as good as Bryant have a way of coming up with insane catches. He’s actually averaging over ten yards less per game than he did last season, and it sounds like Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys need to send the ball Bryant’s way more often.

According to ESPN Dallas’s Tim MacMahon, Jones stated that the Cowboys need to get Bryant the ball more often and that the coaches will focus on getting that done during this week’s bye. The issue with throwing it to Bryant is two-fold. Obviously, you want to get a guy as talented as him the ball more often, but you also don’t want to force the ball to him. If he’s double-covered and leaving guys like Terrance Williams or even DeMarco Murray open, then there’s no sense in telling Romo to force the ball to Bryant.

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