The Dez Bryant-Matt Cassel combo is not as lethal as the Dez Bryant-Tony Romo combo can be. Bryant has thrived with Romo under center, but with the quarterback out for the year, the same cannot be said with Cassel. The Cowboys got a win over the Washington Redskins meaning they are very alive in the NFC East playoff hunt. In order to get over the hump and into the playoffs, they need the Cassel-Bryant duo to pick up steam.
The most important thing for Dallas entering Week 14 is getting the ball to Bryant. The franchise receiver has averaged at least 10 touchdowns per season in the league, but he has just two this year. Part of those numbers are because of injuries as Bryant suffered a broken foot in the first game of 2015. However, since his return, the receiver has yet to really find the endzone thanks to his lack of connection with Cassel. Of the 18 passes the quarterback has thrown in the redzone, only four have gone to Bryant. The receiver admitted that when he blew up on the sideline, he was frustrated with his lack of targets.
"I'm going to be honest about that one. I was frustrated, I was," Bryant said, via ESPN.com. "You just have to understand it's the game. It's the game. Everybody wants to make plays. Everybody wants to be there for the team."
The Cowboys are preparing to play against the Green Bay Packers on a short week and they could struggle against the tougher defense. Cassel must take shots down field to keep the Cowboys in the game. With Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley also rushing the sidelines, short passes to Jason Witten might not get the job done. Head coach Jason Garrett noted they needed to do a better job in the passing game.
"We have thrown some go routes and some back shoulders," Garrett said via ESPN.com, "but you can probably go back and look at the numbers and tell me that it hasn't been as many as we threw with Tony, but it's not like we're shying away from doing that."
One thing the Cowboys hope to do on Sunday is keep Lucky Whitehead involved in the game. The running back made a huge impact against the Redskins, especially on special teams. He could be the change-of-pace back that Lance Dunbar was before his season-ending injury. Darren McFadden needs a player like that to switch off with and Whitehead is proving that he can help in that effort.
"He is providing a little bit of a spark for us," Garrett said, via the team website. "He's a damn good player. He plays the game with a spirit that's hard not to like. He plays hard, he plays fast, and he's got a great competitive way about him. I think he's maximized his opportunities. So he's certainly added a lot to our offense and to our team."
Every game is critical for the Cowboys in the final stretch of the season. With the NFC East being anyone's game at the moment, they cannot take a step back.
