MacMahon: Dez Bryant delivers on final drive

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,741
Dez Bryant delivers on final drive

November, 24, 2013

By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Coaches and teammates kept coming up to
Dez Bryant on the MetLife Stadium sideline and telling him to keep his head up, to hang in there, to not allow the mistakes he had already made prevent him from making critical plays.

They emphasized to Bryant, who described himself as “heartbroken” after a fumble that lost 25 yards and killed a potential scoring drive early in the fourth quarter, just how much his team needed him.

It was a dreadful Sunday afternoon for Bryant until the Dallas Cowboys most needed him. Then he came through in the clutch, coming up with a couple of critical third-down conversions on the Cowboys’ game-winning drive in the final minutes of their 24-21 victoryagainst the New York Giants.

“I had to bring it. I had to bring it,” said Bryant, who felt he owed it to his teammates to make up for his fumble and a interception in the first quarter that bounced off Bryant’s chest before it landed in the hands of Giants safety Antrel Rolle. “Everything that went on in the first three quarters of the game, I had to let that go and go out there and be Dez.”

The Dez clutch delivery: Three catches for 32 yards, accounting for half of the distance of the Cowboys' game-winning drive.

Bryant’s 19-yard catch on third-and-7 from the Dallas 23, which occurred about a minute after the Giants tied the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, was one of the biggest plays of the game. He lined up as a slot receiver, a wrinkle the Cowboys worked on in the bye week to make it more difficult to double-team him, and ran a wheel route, making a good adjustment to catch a ball thrown intentionally behind him.

A few players later, Bryant made another third-down catch to keep the drive alive, lining up in the slot again and making a contested grab on a slant.

Bryant’s passion has been a subject of much discussion, particularly since his emotional sideline outbursts in a loss last month in Detroit. His performance on the final drive provided proof that he’s developing the kind of poise required to be a dependable star for the Cowboys.

“Dez is an emotional guy and somehow, some way we got him focused back on what the task at hand was,” said coach Jason Garrett, who firmly believes that Bryant also caught a pass for what would have been a 22-yard gain to the New York 6 that was ruled incomplete and not reviewed. “The best big-time players that I’ve been around play big in the big-time moment.”

Added tight end Jason Witten: “We all have those games where it just seems like it’s not going your way sometimes, but he made some huge catches. That final drive, him and [quarterback Tony Romo] just kind of put the team on their back. Obviously, we wouldn’t have had a chance to win that game without him. It just shows what type of player he’s become, not allowing the previous series or the last half affect what he can do on that last drive.”

For all of his phenomenal physical attributes, one of the things that the Cowboys love most about Bryant is his willingness to listen.

Bryant will listen when veterans such as Witten and defensive tackle Jason Hatcherapproach him on the sideline and stress the importance of focusing on the next play, reinforcing the message given to him by Garrett and receivers coach Derek Dooley.

And Bryant hangs on every word from Romo. That’s why it meant so much to hear Romo tell him after the fumble that the quarterback still had unwavering confidence in Bryant -- and then follow through on it by targeting him four times in the final drive, including the first two third downs.

“You’ve got to have that mental approach to come back,” Romo said. “It’s just like a quarterback who throws an interception or a golfer who makes a double bogey. You just have to figure out that the game isn’t over. You haven’t played all 18 holes yet.

“If you’re still in it, you’ve got to be able to say, ‘All right, I’m pissed, but I’ll worry about that later tomorrow and figure it out and get better. Right now, our team needs me to play at the best that I can play on this next play.’ Dez does a good job of that.”

That’s what Bryant did down the stretch Sunday, repaying a debt to his teammates.

“I’m very, very, very, very, very excited about the win,” said Bryant, who caught nine of the 16 balls thrown to him for 102 yards. “As far as my performance, it can be a lot better.”

Bryant bluntly said he hated the way he performed for most of the day. He holds himself to an extremely high standard, so he certainly wasn’t satisfied after making a couple of critical mistakes.

It will be a frustrating Monday film session for Bryant ... until the final drive.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,741
On final drive, Tony Romo delivers
November, 24, 2013

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- No matter how hard he tries and until he takes the Dallas Cowboys far in the playoffs, not even to a Super Bowl, Tony Romo will have to deal with the prevailing thought so many people had early Sunday night even if it is not necessarily accurate.

Admit it, more of you thought about the fourth-quarter interception against the Denver Broncos that led to the 51-48 loss on Oct. 6 than the 90-yard game-winning drive he directed three weeks ago against the Minnesota Vikings.

Tony Romo completed first-down passes on three third downs during a 64-yard, game-winning drive.
With the scored tied at 21 and 4:45 to play in a game the Cowboys once led 21-6, many of you probably winced while thinking about how Romo would lose this one.

He didn't. With the season on the line, Romo directed a 14-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Dan Bailey’s 35-yard field goal attempt for a 24-21 victory that pushed the Cowboys back into first place in the NFC East.

This game won’t qualify as a come-from-behind victory for Romo, but it was as meaningful.

“You either feel comfortable in those situations or you don’t,” Romo said. “You feel all the experiences and times you’ve put yourself in that position as a team and you feel good. We’ve done that a couple of times in these last three or four weeks. You just go out and do it.”

The Cowboys had not had a drive last 14 plays since their season-opening win against the Giants. Only three of their past 32 drives reached even 10 plays because their third-down offense had been so bad.

Before the final drive the only third down the Cowboys converted on Sunday was a Jason Witten touchdown catch, which happened to be the 200th scoring throw of Romo’s career. Only six of Romo’s previous 31 third-down attempts result in a first down.

Yet on the final drive, Romo completed all three third-down attempts.

After a Tyron Smith false-start penalty moved a third-and-2 to third-and-17, Romo hit Bryant for 19 yards on a throw down the sideline. On third-and-5 from the Dallas 47, he hit Bryant on a slant for 8 yards.

“Yeah, I just made sure to save all of our good third downs for that last drive,” Romo said. “I think we had some good plays up. Guys made some good plays and ran some good routes. It just comes down to execution at that point.”

And he saved Miles Austin for the end, too. Austin caught his first pass since Sept. 22 against the St. Louis Rams for 17 yards to the Giants 28 one snap after he dropped a Romo pass on the sideline.

“He just showed confidence in me,” Austin said, “and he put the ball on the money. I made sure I wasn’t going to drop that one.”

There would be one more crucial third-down conversion with the Cowboys using their empty package on third-and-10 from the 28. If they did not convert, they were looking at a 45-yard field goal with a swirling wind inside MetLife Stadium.

Romo did not go to Bryant or Austin or Witten. Instead he checked the ball down to Cole Beasley, who turned up field for 13 yards.

“There’s a definite high chance,” Beasley said of getting the ball there. “It’s pretty much a 50 percent chance. I run every route like everyone is coming to me, especially that route because that’s pretty much the route that gave me playing time.”

With his work over, Romo took a knee on the next two snaps to set up Bailey’s game winner.

“It’s a tough environment against a team who is ready to go, obviously had their season in some ways they felt like their season was on the line in this game,” Romo said. “It was a playoff like game. It was a very similar feeling to the win or go home from a couple of years ago. I think we had to find a way to win. I was proud of the guys’ effort, commitment and the way they handled it.”
 

p1_

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
26,462
You have to give credit to Romo and Bryant on the final drive. They came through repeatedly.

Not just them, but our friend Miles Austin as well. Clutch.
 

UncleMilti

This seemed like a good idea at the time.
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
17,981
The offense definitely looked better- whether Garrett had anything to do with that I'm not sure-but the offense just looked more in sync.
 

BipolarFuk

Demoted
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
11,464
Is Romo capable of throwing the fucking ball downfield anymore?

He hasn't even managed 7 ypa since Denver.
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,498
We made a potentially important decision to throw the ball on that Beasley first down catch at the end. We were already technically in FG range so it would have been easy to run the ball and try to wind down some clock while playing it safe and hoping to hit a 45 yarder. Props to Garrett and the offensive staff for throwing the ball there. That stadium and weather could have made a longish field goal somewhat iffy. The decision to throw the ball there (and subsequent completion for the first down) could have been the difference between winning and losing.

We have made a lot of mistakes at the end of games over the past few years but this game was well done. Propers.
 

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,934
We made a potentially important decision to throw the ball on that Beasley first down catch at the end. We were already technically in FG range so it would have been easy to run the ball and try to wind down some clock while playing it safe and hoping to hit a 45 yarder. Props to Garrett and the offensive staff for throwing the ball there. That stadium and weather could have made a longish field goal somewhat iffy. The decision to throw the ball there (and subsequent completion for the first down) could have been the difference between winning and losing.

We have made a lot of mistakes at the end of games over the past few years but this game was well done. Propers.
Maybe. But it's easy to say when it works out in your favor. What would the sentiment be if the pass was intercepted? Or thrown incomplete and stopped the clock, which in turn left the Giants some time, and they somehow got in position to win the game?

Hindsight, and all that stuff.
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,498
Is Romo capable of throwing the fucking ball downfield anymore?

He hasn't even managed 7 ypa since Denver.
That's definitely a concern for me, although he did have a nice 30ish yard pass to Williams that was interfered on and not called. So it may just be they are playing things close to the vest thinking it will avoid turnovers.
 

L.T. Fan

I'm Easy If You Are
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
21,689
Maybe. But it's easy to say when it works out in your favor. What would the sentiment be if the pass was intercepted? Or thrown incomplete and stopped the clock, which in turn left the Giants some time, and they somehow got in position to win the game?

Hindsight, and all that stuff.
You play the game. You go with the percentages and hope the players can execute. That is all you can do but you cannot run scared of all the what ifs. That paralysises the entire team
 

Texas Ace

Teh Acester
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
23,402
That's definitely a concern for me, although he did have a nice 30ish yard pass to Williams that was interfered on and not called. So it may just be they are playing things close to the vest thinking it will avoid turnovers.
That was not a good pass at all.

It should have been an easy score, but Romo let off a badly underthrown floater which Williams mistimed on the jump - that is why he didn't get the PI call because it was too high above his head to make the catch.
 

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,934
That was not a good pass at all.

It should have been an easy score, but Romo let off a badly underthrown floater which Williams mistimed on the jump - that is why he didn't get the PI call because it was too high above his head to make the catch.
Disagree. I thought it was a good pass, too. Looked to me if Williams had kept running to his outside shoulder, that's where the throw was. But he slowed up and turned in, and then needed to jump because of playing the ball wrong. Romo had some shitty throws yesterday, but I didn't think this was one of them.
 

Cowboysrock55

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
52,466
That was not a good pass at all.

It should have been an easy score, but Romo let off a badly underthrown floater which Williams mistimed on the jump - that is why he didn't get the PI call because it was too high above his head to make the catch.
I always wonder if Romo doesn't get some arm fatigue as the season rolls on. His throws just don't seem to be all that accurate most seasons down the stretch. Of course this year the inaccuracy started much earlier. Not that you can necessarily do anything about it but it's just a theory as to why he seems to look worse down the stretch.
 

Angrymesscan

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
3,796
I always wonder if Romo doesn't get some arm fatigue as the season rolls on. His throws just don't seem to be all that accurate most seasons down the stretch. Of course this year the inaccuracy started much earlier. Not that you can necessarily do anything about it but it's just a theory as to why he seems to look worse down the stretch.
I think the weather had more to do with that yesterday.
 
Top Bottom