The Dallas Cowboys, with four consecutive losses, Matt Cassel at quarterback and the Seattle Seahawks as their next opponent, are finally getting Dez Bryant back.
A foot fracture has kept Bryant off the field since week 1, and combine that with Tony Romo going down after the week 2 game against Philadelphia and you get why the Cowboys have been losing so much. The team had no deep threat to draw double coverage, which led to a predictable passing and running game, despite the very good offensive line to run behind.
Bryant coming back doesn’t change the fact that the Cowboys still have Cassel at quarterback, which mean anything can happen. He isn’t afraid to risk it and put the ball in the air unlike Brandon Weeden, but it also means mistakes. Cassel threw three interceptions in the loss to the New York Giants in week 7, although the Cowboys were still one possession away from tying or winning the game before a punt return gone bad with a fumble sealed the deal for the Giants.
Right now the Cowboys are only 29th in the NFL with just six passing touchdowns so far this season, and getting into the end zone has been a serious problem. The defense has been improving, especially since Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain have gotten back on the field, balancing a little bit between a very good front seven and a bad secondary.
Bryant caught 5 passes for 48 yards before his injury in the first game of the season. He has at least 12 touchdown catches and 1200 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. While he won’t get those numbers this year because of missed time, his effect and presence on the field might be able to get the Cowboys back into the playoff race before it’s too late. Tony Romo isn’t coming back for at least three more weeks.