The Dallas Cowboys are in a critical point in their season. With Tony Romo still out with injury, the team has yet to get a win with Matt Cassel on the field. They are approaching what could be a winnable game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if everyone is healthy and ready to play. Having Dez Bryant miss time for a knee injury is not going to help the Cowboys in Week 10.
Bryant is just starting to get going after missing time for a foot injury. Having him miss any more time is not ideal for the Cowboys which is why there is concern after Todd Archer of ESPN.com reported Bryant missed practice for a knee injury. Bryant returned to practice in limited fashion on Thursday and is listed as probable for Sunday's game. However, the Cowboys could find themselves managing the receiver's time on the field as a result of the multiple injuries. Head coach Jason Garrett told the media that the knee injury is more soreness than anything else and he does not expect Bryant's issues to hold him back against the Buccaneers.
"It's probably more the knee right now but he's still coming off the foot as we know," Garrett said, via ESPN.com. "We anticipate he'll get better and better as the week goes on."
The biggest concern for Bryant missing time on the field is his chemistry with quarterback Matt Cassel. The star told the media that he and the receiver are still working on timing and things as he hopes to rely more on Bryant in the coming weeks.
"Sometimes [building a rapport is] longer than others but at the same time I think it's also understanding the concepts, how people come out of routes and do all that stuff," Cassel said, via ESPN.com. "But at the same time I think it's not something that is going to take so many weeks that you can't get comfortable very quickly."
The Cowboys benefitted from a career-high day from Cole Beasley against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was not enough to get the win. The quarterback has good chemistry with Beasley and Terrance Williams and as Bryant improves and gets healthy, the Cowboys should be able to open up the playbook more. Owner Jerry Jones told the media he is still very confident the Cowboys can do something special this season. Getting Bryant back was the first step. Now they simply have to start winning games in order to save the season for when Romo returns.
"I know I'm talking in generalities, but specifically, we have a team that could really, from the standpoint of the personnel that's on the field, really be a top team as we get into the last half of this season. We want to show our fans that," Joens said, via the Dallas Morning News.