Dez Bryant has had about as much of an up-and-down season with the Dallas Cowboys this year as you can have. So has the team, and they put their fans through another roller coaster ride on Sunday with an overtime win over the Cleveland Browns.
Bryant had an outstanding day as he recorded 12 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. However, Cowboys fans booed him in the second quarter when he caught a pass and ran out of bounds before the first-down marker to avoid taking a hit. Apparently the boos hurt his feelings.
I was hearing it. I was,” he said according to USA Today. “Man, that hurt my heart.”
The third-year receiver said he wasn’t aware of where he was on the field and didn’t intend to step out before picking up the first down. Cowboys fans booed when the play happened and then again when the replay was shown on the video board.
“When I seen where we was at, I was like, damn,” Bryant explained. “I didn’t mean to do that. It’s not like me. It’s not like me to run out of bounds. I seen like four or five guys coming so I took a step out. I didn’t see the first down marker. That’s my bad. I should’ve known where we was at on the field.”
Had it been any other player, the fans may not have booed. For as many monster performances as Bryant has had this season, he seems to be equally prone to brain farts. He spoiled a career-high 13-catch effort in a loss earlier this season when he made two crucial mistakes that may have cost Dallas the game. Fortunately, the Cowboys won on Sunday. However, the boos from the fans seem to indicate that Bryant has lost the benefit of the doubt — even when he enjoys a breakout performance.
