While the Dallas Cowboys are making headlines for their rushing attack that ranks first in the NFL this season, the Seahawks can’t put so much effort into stopping DeMarco Murray, who leads the NFL with 670 rushing yards. That’s because as good as Dallas’ running game has been this season, the Cowboys also have one of the league’s best receivers in Dez Bryant, who is a big play waiting to happen every time he’s on the field.
“Dez is an incredible talent,” said Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. “Obviously his resume speaks for itself, but he does a great job getting open, playing the ball in the air. He made a fantastic play for them last week which is indicative of what he can do when the ball is in the air.”
And Sherman isn’t one to blindly praise every opposing receiver. Just a few days ago, Sherman made headlines following Monday night’s win by saying of Washington receiver Pierre Garcon, “Pierre doesn’t matter in this league.”
Bryant, however, does matter in this league, according to Sherman.
“He does,” Sherman said. “He actually does. He matters a great deal.”
Of course if most games this season have been any indicator, Sherman may not see a lot of Bryant, as teams have frequently put their best receivers on the other side of the field to avoid Seattle’s All-Pro corner. If Dallas uses that strategy, Byron Maxwell says he’ll welcome the challenge.
“He’s physical, he’s fast, he’s just a great athlete,” Maxwell said. “He’s hard to cover, you know? It’s a big challenge, but I’m definitely excited though.”
A couple of players in Seattle’s locker room know Bryant better than the rest of their teammates having a history with the Cowboys’ leading receiver. Left tackle Russell Okung, Bryant’s teammate at Oklahoma State, noticed Bryant’s talent and physical ability was at another level from the first day he stepped on the practice field as a freshman.
Safety Earl Thomas goes even further back with Bryant, having played against him in high school all-star games, then again in college. Thomas sees Bryant’s growth into being one of the NFL’s top receivers as being more than just his physical skills.
“He’s been through a lot in his childhood,” Thomas said. “I think player like that, when you’ve been through a lot, you start to see what your talent is capable of as you go through the different stages. You don’t know what you’re capable of, and he’s getting his confidence back from college when he got suspended. He’s slowly started to progress to be that Dez Bryant that he was. I played him high school in all-star games, we’re on Team Jordan together, so we have a lot of conversations about wanting to be great, and he wants to be in the Hall of Fame. He’s one of those types of players where we have to know where he is at all times.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
