Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant and the season that wasn’t

There are officially five games left on the Dallas Cowboys 2015 season schedule, but with Tony Romo done for the year and Matt Cassel slated to start again, the season is effectively over for both the Cowboys and superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant.

This past offseason, the Dallas Cowboys biggest move was to franchise and then re-sign Dez Bryant to a five-year, $70 million contract with a hefty $45 million in guarantees that was well-deserved. Not only is Bryant in the prime of his career and one of the most physically gifted players in the NFL, but he came into the 2015 season with three straight seasons of at least 85 catches, 1,200 yards, and 12 touchdowns. Despite all of the unnecessary hoopla and off-the-field concerns directed at Dez, he was one of the healthiest and most consistent playmakers in the entire league.

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That is, of course, until this season. Bryant missed five games with a knee injury, and in the six games he has played in so far, he’s had just two touchdowns and one 100-yard performance. Cursed with just two full games with Romo at the helm, Bryant has been either suffocated by elite corners (Richard Sherman and Josh Norman) or on the sidelines for much of the season.

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Interestingly enough, the Cowboys biggest move of the offseason was to keep Bryant around long-term, and their biggest non-move was the decision that led to the organization being able to commit to him for five years. Instead of re-signing feature back DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys let him join the Philadelphia Eagles via a big-money contract after running him down in his final year in Dallas, helping Murray put up career marks.

There has never been any doubt in my mind that the Cowboys made the right decision, but, sadly, Bryant probably doesn’t have a shot at proving the masses just how valuable he is to this offense. It would be something truly special if he were able to keep the Cowboys offense somewhat afloat without Romo sending passes his way, and he did have a 5/104/1 line a few weeks ago against a Philadelphia Eagles secondary that allowed three touchdowns to Calvin Johnson on Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to see Bryant being able to do that, and it isn’t like he’s received much help from No. 2 receiver Terrance Williams or the rest of his non-Romo teammates either. The 2015 season is shaping up to be a lost cause for Bryant, who earned his deal in part because of the very real threat the Cowboys felt if he were to hold out of regular season games.

See, the Cowboys, judging by their biggest offseason move and non-move, understand just how valuable Bryant is to this team, so perhaps the rest of the 2015 season will be about the 27-year-old showing the rest of the world that he can still be a threat even with an incompetent quarterback running the show. Cassel has fared out so poorly this season that it’s not worth pretending to praise him, so this is a chance for Bryant to show just how much of a hero he is to this Dallas football team.

He’s clearly fired up this season, and the comments he’s made to the media and the blow-ups he’s had show that. The passion should still be there, even after a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers that puts the ‘Boys down to 3-8 with just one win on their own home turf.

When it comes to making the playoffs or doing anything damaging, the Cowboys 2015 season is over. There’s just no way they gain any positive momentum going without Romo, and he couldn’t even avoid throwing three interceptions today against the undefeated Carolina Panthers. But if you want a lesson on just how valuable Bryant is, just look at how poorly the Cowboys played when Norman, who has to be the Defensive Player of the Year front-runner and the best cornerback in the NFL at this point, took him out of the game.

Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) during the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys need Dez more than anyone on this team not named “Tony Romo”, and this final stretch of regular season games is all about evaluating individual players. Bryant has nothing to prove to the Cowboys organization, and he doesn’t even have to prove to the masses that he’s a top ten receiver.

Even so, there’s still pride on the line, and we’ll get a chance to see just how much he can carry the Cowboys offense on his own with a relatively barren cupboard around him.

Darren McFadden, Jason Witten, Cole Beasley, and Williams have all had their moments, but, ultimately, Bryant is the only top player left when it comes to the skill positions (the offensive line is an entirely different ballgame).

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So Bryant’s 2015 season won’t be a triumphant first year under a big contract with a fourth straight 80/1,200/12 line.

Instead, he’ll have mediocre stats, plenty of missed games on his schedule, and frustration abound. However, his passion, ability, and importance to the team should be able to shine through in some way, and that’s something to watch for over the last handful of games of the year.