Dez Bryant Is The Poster Boy for The Cowboys Futility

As I have discussed on previous blogs, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the poster boy and the most polarizing figure in this organization. In the NFL when this is the case there is a problem. Jones wants to be the man in charge and he likes to keep everyone involved aware of that. Jones loves his team, but he also loves mediocrity.

Since the start of the 2011 NFL season, the Cowboys record is 20-20. Dallas has not won a Super Bowl since 1995 and since then they have only won two playoff games. Jones only wants “yes men” as his head coaches. Jones ran two-time Super Bowl winning head coach Jimmy Johnson out of town following the 1993 season. From 2003-2006, Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells was the head coach of the Cowboys and he found himself consistently being undermined by Jones which led to his resignation.

Jones wants to be the owner, general manager, team chef, and head coach. Jones’ perception of his team has led him to continue his unequivocal support of Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo. In his eight years as the starting quarterback in Dallas, Romo’s record is 59-42 in the regular season, but in the playoffs he is 1-3. Romo has also developed a reputation of not being a clutch quarterback. This dates all the way back to the 2006 NFC Wild Card Game when Romo botched the snap on a field goal which resulted in Dallas losing to the Seattle Seahawks. In the past two seasons the Cowboys went into the final game of the regular season needing to win in order to advance to the playoffs, but Romo came up short each time. Romo’s inability to perform when the chips are on the table was once again on display earlier this season. In the Cowboys Week 5 loss to the Denver Broncos, Romo passed for 506 yards and 5 touchdowns, but people will only remember the interception that he threw late in the game that resulted in the game-winning field goal for the Broncos. 

Romo’s inability to perform in big situations can be seen in the game plan late in contests by Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett might not come out directly and say it,but he doesn’t trust Romo with the football in his hands in the fourth quarter. Prior to last Sunday the last person to hold Romo accountable inside the Cowboys was former wide receiver Terrell Owens, but now that frustration has shown up with Bryant.

At first it was looked upon as Bryant being frustrated, but in actuality it wasn’t as he was trying to get on the same page with Romo. But in another incident, after the Lions took the lead with 12 seconds remaining in the game, Bryant had to separated on the sidelines from Cowboys tight end Jason Witten by defensive end DeMarcus Ware. The Cowboys can put whatever spin that they want to on the situation as the audio from Bryant’s encounter with Romo has been released by NFL.com, but you cannot have these incidents on the sidelines because they are a distraction. The Cowboys should be preparing for this Sunday’s contest against the Minnesota Vikings, but instead they have been forced to answer questions about Bryant.

Bryant is a difference maker when he is on the field to the point that Jones traded up in the 2010 NFL Draft to select the explosive wide receiver from Oklahoma State. Bryant has had his fair share of off the field issues since joining the Cowboys and he has developed a reputation as a “diva”. Bryant put the spotlight on himself heading into this game with the Lions last Sunday as he claimed to be just as good as Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Johnson would go on to have a tremendous day on Sunday as he recorded 14 receptions for 329 yards while Bryant was relegated to just 3 receptions for 72 yards, but he did have 2 touchdowns.

I talked of Owens being a volatile receiver and the Cowboys never won with him. Former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin would yell on the sidelines at his teammates, but that was to get everyone to play better and step their game up. Irvin never crossed the line as he was never demonstrative with his quarterback in Troy Aikman on the sidelines.

During my Week 8 NFL recap on blogtalkradio.com/300lbsofsportsknowledge, I addressed the sideline situation for the Cowboys. When you look at the Green Bay Packers you never see receivers on their team becoming animated with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The same case can be made for the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning as well as New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as neither man has had to deal with an animated wide receivers on the sidelines recently. I say this because these three clubs have combined to win four Super Bowl Championships since 2007 and unlike Romo these quarterbacks have all performed which in the clutch as they each have taken home Super Bowl MVP honors.

If the Cowboys are “America’s Team” then this country must love being mediocre. The Cowboys talk a big game, but they continuously fall short of their own expectations. Dallas currently finds themselves with a 4-4 record as they have allowed the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles all to hang around in the NFC East race instead of putting them away. Now the Cowboys will have to sweat it out during the second half of the season in order to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009 as mediocrity has become king in Dallas.

Starting at the top of the organization with Jones, Bryant’s sideline incident has been accepted as the norm. When the Cowboys miss the playoffs again this season as Romo will once again fail, Jones should accept that as the norm as well.