Dez Bryant deserves credit for playing the last two weeks at less than 100%. He made the key catch in the win against the Redskins and caught two touchdowns against the Lions.
The problem is that Bryant has yet to play four healthy quarters in a row all year. By the second half on Sunday, he was clearly gassed or not feeling right. All three of his catches against Detroit came in the first half.
“Receivers need to be able to run throughout the ballgame, and when you don’t practice and you don’t run throughout the week, it’s hard for you to maintain the pace that you need to maintain throughout a 60-minute game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Monday.
Garrett said that conditioning is definitely a concern because Bryant has barely practiced this season. The team is hoping that the bye week helps to heal Dez and Miles Austin.
While Laurent Robinson had a big day against Detroit, the last three weeks have exposed Dallas’ lack of receiver depth. This just isn’t a playoff-caliber offense unless Bryant and Austin are both at full speed.