Disappearing Dez

[wingnutty]

I'm getting exhausted with Dez losing me games in my starting lineup Holy cow, the guy has lost me the majority of games I've started him over the past year. I get the injury and all, but it is seeming that w/out romo he's invisible and dallas is unable or unwilling to use him. I mean, throwing dump offs to witten and beasley all afternoon...one would think they could find a way to get the ball into Dez's hands on underneath routes.

I'm not gonna sell low, but I'm not sure how i can trust him in my lineup at this point. It seems like he's just not an active part of the game plan.

[Cameron Giles]

It can be frustrating, but he's one of the best WR's in the game. More times than not, he will find ways to get his. I'd keep starting him.

[Friction]

It will obviously get better and I think he will still be a stud, but he is going the DT route in fantasy due to age and situation/qb. His talent is still there, but he won't sniff the top 3 WR tier like he was only a year ago. He also is falling behind the next tier of Arob/NUK/Cooks/Evans/Cooper. I don't try to over react afterweek one, but even in a redraft, I don't know how many people would draft him over any of those guys now.

[ericanadian]

Garrett is a coward. He wanted to run and throw underneath to Witten & Beasley and that's it. He would rather rely on a defense missing numerous key contributors than a QB that just finished lighting up the pre-season. I somewhat understand given that Dak wasn't showing a lot of accuracy on his mid/long range throws, but it's still a coward's plan and he earned his team the loss in pursuing it.

The good news is that the Cowboys lost, and Dak & Dez looked heavily underutilized, so this should push Garrett to become at least a little more aggressive.

[bruiser]

Agree, ericanadian. Also, as CameronGiles mentioned, keep starting him. It can only get better. He's not hurt (if that's any consolation).

[pvillebiker]

So, before this past weekend's games, I traded away Dez + Michael Thomas for Allen Robinson. Turns out none of them did much this weekend. Love me some Dez & I'm a big cowboys fan, living in Austin, but you can't legitimately expect Dez to return to tip-top form with a rookie QB or even a returning (and increasingly rusty from the layoff since the last injury) Romo. I do think the Dak / Dez combo will round into form, but it will likely be boom/bust until mid-season at least. As a cowboys fan, I hope I'm wrong, but come on man the truth is staring us in the face!

As for Garrett being gun shy, I think it was the right thing to do for Dak's progression, even if it did flat line Dez' stat line @ 1 for 8! Worst thing in the world for Cowboy's hopes for this season would be to aggressively push Dak his 1st week as a starter and throw a bunch of picks. Confidence is an important thing for rookie QB's. Just ask any Eagles fan! Better days ahead for Dez owners...

[Telperion]

The best WR's are QB proof (unless that QB is Brandon Weeden but that's another story).

The best WR's are not game plan proof.

Dez has never gotten the targets that other top WR's have gotten. There are WR2's on some teams that get more targets than Dez. The Cowboys simply run a different offense without Romo, and while Dez' talent is still there, he's not as much of a factor.

Panic? No. He's still Dez, but his usage has always been frustrating.

[Dookmarriot]

Garrett is a coward. He wanted to run and throw underneath to Witten & Beasley and that's it. He would rather rely on a defense missing numerous key contributors than a QB that just finished lighting up the pre-season. I somewhat understand given that Dak wasn't showing a lot of accuracy on his mid/long range throws, but it's still a coward's plan and he earned his team the loss in pursuing it.

The good news is that the Cowboys lost, and Dak & Dez looked heavily underutilized, so this should push Garrett to become at least a little more aggressive.

I dunno, when you have a raw QB with an erratic arm, a low percentage passing game is the smart move - ie what the Broncos did with Siemian. To do otherwise is to buy a ticket to pick city. If that's still the Cowboy plan come week 6, either Dak is not progressing or Garrett really doesn't have any stones. Or maybe both.

It is a concern for Dez, because if Dak - who still has work to do on his mechanics - doesn't get better Dez will be a stud receiver with no one to get him the ball.

[eNdblu]

Saw these tweeted yesterday

Chris Towers Verified account ‏@CTowersCBS
So, yeah, 15 games without Romo for Dez: 54 catches, 113 targets (47.8%), 7 TD, 6.2 Y/TGT

Did we discount him enough?

Josh Eberley ‏@JoshEberley
Dez Bryant's last 8 without Tony Romo:

1, 8 yds
4, 50 yds, TD
1, 9 yds
3, 62 yds
5, 45 yds
5, 104 yds, TD
2, 12 yds
2, 15 yds, TD

I'm a new Dez owner in one of my leagues and drafted him pre-Romo injury in a bunch in MFL10s as well... Here's to hoping he and Dak get on the same page.

[maxhyde]

Garrett is a coward. He wanted to run and throw underneath to Witten & Beasley and that's it. He would rather rely on a defense missing numerous key contributors than a QB that just finished lighting up the pre-season. I somewhat understand given that Dak wasn't showing a lot of accuracy on his mid/long range throws, but it's still a coward's plan and he earned his team the loss in pursuing it.

The good news is that the Cowboys lost, and Dak & Dez looked heavily underutilized, so this should push Garrett to become at least a little more aggressive.

Dez had opportunities.
Probably not as many short route looks as he should have gotten but the Giants D were all over him most of the time. Normally we see him get some slant or a drag routes but he didn't get many opportunities on those. DRC made a great play to break up one TD and Dez just didn't complete the catch on the other.

Anyway the game plan was a don't let the rookie QB lose so I get what you are saying but Dez actually had some chances to make plays and just didn't.

I will keep starting him regradless

eta: I expect Dez won't be OK with losing and they will come up with a plan to get the ball in his hands more often earlier

[joeday]

Every move I made in my main lg, including trading Cooks for Dez (which everyone of my friends called me a thief), cost me week 1! My good fortune in that lg may have fun out!

[nokoryous]

Unfortunately I'm a huge Cowboys fan, because if I wasn't, I would be jumping ship and trading Dez next time he posts a big game.

Garrett is a coward. He wanted to run and throw underneath to Witten & Beasley and that's it [...] and he earned his team the loss in pursuing it.

This quote pegs Garrett perfectly, and my two greatest frustrations as a Cowboys fan are 1) Garrett leaning on field goals to win games (and then losing them) and 2) QBs not trusting Dez's talent and throwing him the freaking rock. But as much as I may hate it, that IS the Cowboys gameplan. It always has been.

Romo is out at least 7 games, then maybe will play one more year after this one, but all that's unknown and he could retire in two weeks for all I know. I don't love the risk that is Dez these days.

[wingnutty]

I agree with a lot of the comments here. I don't blame necessarily blame dez for the lack of stats, but the cowboys game plan away from him most of the time w/out romo and that makes dez almost unusable recently. I'm done starting him until he starts to increase consistency. Sucks to have a stud sitting on my bench, but the bottom line is that over the past year he has lost me more games than he's won for me when he's been in my lineup.

[HawkeyeState]

This to me has proven why I've always been lower than consensus on Dez.
He seems to be so QB dependent that it's ridiculous.
He either blows up or disappears, there is no in between. The blow-ups are #1 overall WR level blow ups. But the lows are 1 point or less like we got this Sunday.

[Never Veto]

I wouldn't blame this on Dez. Cole Beasley had 12 Tragets, Dez had 5