Cowboys tight end Martellus Bennett owned the offseason: he rapped, he blogged, he tweeted.
Bennett also owned the preseason, catching 12 passes for 155 yards and generating a lot of excitement about Dallas’ two tight end set.
Once the real games started, however, Bennett has been hard to find.
Oh, he’s on the field blocking, a skill at which he’s improved as a pro. But Bennett has just four catches for 40 yards, exactly one catch in each game.
Bennett is trying not to sweat it.
“I’ve got to let my game come to me. Sometimes basketball players force shots. Some guys force shots, Kobe. Some players let the game come to them, LeBron. I’m a LeBron player, although Kobe is great. I believe my chances are coming later on this season, this game or the next game.”
(We’d argue he’s more like an Anderson Varejao player.)
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the team isn’t designing plays for Bennett, but his problems are symptomatic of the entire Dallas passing game.
Other than Jason Witten, who is producing close to expectations?
Roy Williams is a number one receiver producing like a number two. Patrick Crayton is a number two with 64 yards in the last three weeks. Miles Austin has largely been invisible.
If Tony Romo can improve his accuracy and ability to make plays inside the pocket, the receiver’s numbers will rise.
In the meantime, Bennett may realize something Chad Ochocinco learned last year: No one pays attention to what you say if you don’t fill up the box score.