Dez Bryant, Cowboys' Passing Numbers Dimmed Out by Disastrous Plummet

by David Elfin

Filed under: Cowboys, NFC East

What's gone right: Despite missing the preseason with a high ankle sprain, first-round draft choice Dez Bryant has been even better than advertised. Bryant, who has 38 catches off the bench and six touchdowns (two on punt returns) is a threat to score every time he touches the ball and is summoning memories of Cowboys Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin. Receiver Miles Austin and tight end Jason Witten are having Pro Bowl-type years again with 90 catches for 1,163 yards and five touchdowns between them. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is on pace for 16 sacks. Punter Mat McBriar is having another terrific season.

What's wrong: When you've lost two more games in the first half (1-7) of 2010 than you lost in all of 2009 and have been the only team to fire your coach, the answer is plenty. The defense has crashed from ninth overall and fourth against the run last year to 17th and 24th. The Cowboys have a minus-9 turnover ratio with 19 giveaways.

The running game has plummeted from seventh in 2009 to 31st. Since Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo broke his left collarbone in Week 7 with the Cowboys leading the Giants 10-7, Dallas has been outscored by New York, Jacksonville and Green Bay by a staggering 114-49. It seems that the Cowboys simply quit on nice-guy coach Wade Phillips, who made several boneheaded decisions in the nationally televised games against the Giants and Packers. Dallas has committed 62 penalties, 27 more than its opponents.

The flags for celebrations against Tennessee and Minnesota helped cause those defeats. Incredibly, the Cowboys are 0-4 at home with defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans and Philadelphia (both 5-3) yet to visit as well as Washington which upset the Cowboys in Week 1. Dallas has only lost as many as five games at home once since the 1-15 season of 1989. Defensive end Marcus Spears is out for the year. Offensive linemen Kyle Kosier and Marc Colombo and cornerback Terence Newman have been banged up and who knows if Romo will bother coming back next month with the playoff chances long gone.

 

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