Dez Bryant‘s emotional sideline outbursts during the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday have been a hot topic of conversation this week. Analysts ripped him for acting like a child, but NFL Films audio showed Bryant saying some positive things during what were perceived as temper tantrums. Bryant also insisted he was just being passionate and that there was nothing negative about it.
Jason Witten, one of the people that appeared to get into it with Bryant on the sideline during the fourth quarter, defended Dez on Tuesday. According to the veteran tight end, Bryant was not complaining about getting the ball.
“There’s nobody I love playing with more on Sundays than Dez,” Witten told KTCK-AM 1310 and KTCK-FM 96.7 The Ticket, via The Dallas Morning News. “I was just reminding him there at the end there was still hope, still a chance and that he kind of just needed to let it go and let’s get focused back on these final few seconds.
“Wasn’t about getting [Bryant] the ball…that’s not what kind of guy he is…that’s why we love him.”
Witten and Bryant appeared more animated with each other than Bryant and Romo were. Witten’s explanation makes sense, as the Cowboys still had time for one final Hail Mary after the Lions’ go-ahead touchdown and would have needed Bryant’s size and hands on that play.
From everything we have gathered, it sounds like Bryant’s outbursts were a combination of positive and negative emotion. We’d still like to hear the full audio. The video replays clearly don’t show enough.
