Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan learned his lesson about giving bulletin-board material to opposing wide receivers when he opened his mouth about Calvin Johnson. So when asked about Sunday’s game against the Patriots and receiver Wes Welker, Ryan hesitated.
“I’m afraid to comment on wideouts,” Ryan told the Star-Telegram. “Apparently, I don’t know anything.”
Ryan said he still smarting over the reaction to his claim that the Cowboys practice against better receivers than Johnson every day -- only to have Johnson score two fourth-quarter touchdowns against his defense and lead the Lions to a come-from-behind victory in Dallas.
“I’m taking a beating for that,” Ryan said. “I’m not going to compare anybody anymore, even though Dez Bryant did catch two TD passes, same as the other guy. But I’ve given that up.”
Ryan said he isn’t going to get into whether the Cowboys practice against better receivers than Welker, he’s just going to say his players have their hands full.
“All I know is this guy is great,” Ryan said of Welker. “He catches every pass. He’s leading the league in yardage, catches. He’s great in the red zone. He’s a great competitor. So I’ll leave it at that. I don’t know where he places anywhere else. I know one thing: He’s damn good, and he gets a million throws from Brady.”