Bell Tolls: Can Dez Bryant speak his mind with a big game in the clutch?
It has become a scene for mid-week comic relief in the Dallas Cowboys locker room.
Time for Dez Bryant to speak.
On Thursday, I caught it again. There were maybe a half-dozen cameras positioned around Bryant's locker, accompanied by about two dozen reporters – including the quick-witted woman who towered above the pack because she stood on the bench at the adjacent stall – all in great anticipation of whatever wisdom the diva wide receiver would spew.
These are generally light-hearted sessions, and through them Bryant displays a rather likable – and hardly humble -- personality with a great sense of humor.
He teased the crowd. Again. Bryant came over to his locker, then abruptly bolted.
As they waited, Bryant yelled twice – and if no one heard him the first time -- from the other side of the near-empty locker room, "Don't y'all ask me the same questions!"
Eventually, after dropping in for some loud-talking, N-word laced banter at edgy cornerback Orlando Scandrick's stall, Bryant came back to his locker – "wait, let me fix my hat" -- and answered at least some of the same type of questions.
After the Cowboys were drubbed by the Eagles on Thanksgiving, he declared how he was so eager to get into the film room and looked forward to the rematch.
"I can't wait to go up there and play them again," Bryant said on Turkey Day. "Cannot wait."
The Cowboys will be at The Linc on Sunday night for a showdown against the Eagles, and after three consecutive 8-8 seasons ended with Dallas losing a finale that could have secured a playoff berth, the win-or-go-home scenario has been moved up on the calendar.
Given the map of NFC playoff contenders, the Cowboys (9-4) will be hard-pressed (and lucky) to make the playoffs if they are swept by the Eagles (9-4).
A key question Bryant should be eager to answer: Can he deliver a big game in the clutch when his team really needs it?
That's what the big-time players do. That's what Cowboys such as Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson (a should-be Hall of Famer who caught the famous "Hail Mary" pass from Roger Staubach) did on the regular in the big games.
Bryant, in the final year of his contract, wants to be paid like an elite receiver. Now would be a good time to show why.
Of course, it's not all on Bryant, whose targets come in the context of an offense that has been refashioned around the running of NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray.
Tony Romo needs to bring his best game and make amends for a sorry Thanksgiving. The O-line, young as it is, needs to provide a return on the heavy investments.
And can the defense get one or a few stops of Chip Kelly's high-flying offense? Even role players need to step up. Whatever happened to Terrance Williams? He hasn't been the same since he was locked up by Cardinals corner Antonio Cromartie in Week 9.
Coach Jason Garrett this week maintained Williams hasn't had as many opportunities in recent weeks because of defensive schemes.
Yeah, right.
Big-time players make their opportunities. Defenses surely scheme to contain Marshawn Lynch, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown, too.
Which brings us back around to Bryant.He's the perfect, high-profile glitzy symbol of the Cowboys who haven't won squat but have a buzz factor that was built on championship teams of previous generations.
Bryant and the Cowboys – the only NFL team undefeated on the road this season -- have it within them to deliver a knockout punch.
What will that mean on Sunday night? It's the same old question, begging to be answered.
Other items of interest as Week 15 rolls on…
Who's hot: Fletcher Cox. A bit overshadowed by NFC sack leader Connor Barwin and longtime edge rushing nemesis Trent Cole, the Eagles' versatile third-year defensive end has had a Pro Bowl type of breakout year as a key cog for one of the NFL's best front sevens. Coming off a career-high 13 tackles against Seattle, Cox poses a huge matchup problem for Dallas because D-coordinator Billy Davis is prone to line him up all over the front of a 3-4. Never mind his so-so sack tally (3). As part of a deep, cohesive unit that mixes a steady diet of blitzes, stunts and loops in bringing the heat that has generated an NFC-high 44 sacks, Cox is an effective setup man. And he's a beast in clogging the rushing lanes, too.
Key matchup: Antonio Gates vs. Broncos pass defense. Having gone five consecutive games without a touchdown, the Chargers tight end may be due for a breakout game. And with playoff hopes on the line, what better opponent for Gates than Denver. Since he entered the NFL in 2003, no one has produced more catches or touchdowns against the Broncos than Gates – whose last two TDs came at Denver in Week 8. Although second-year wide receiver Keenan Allen is the top target, the Broncos will have to respect the 34-year-old Gates in the red zone – probably with double coverage from a safety like T.J. Ward or Rahim Moore -- because of immense trust that Philip Rivers has in his tight end.
Pressure's on: Colin Kaepernick. Besides coach Jim Harbaugh, no one has been the face of this season of doom for the 49ers like Kaepernick, whose game has regressed in each season since his 2012 breakout, when he had a 98.3 passer rating. It's not all on Kaepernick. Playing from the pocket is not his strong suit. Nonetheless, he's the only starting quarterback in the NFL without a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter this season and San Francisco is averaging an NFL-low 14.7 points since Week 7. Now comes Seattle's No.1-ranked defense, which has picked off Kaepernick nine times in four games since the start of the 2013 campaign. A loss would pretty much squash San Fran's already-faint playoff hopes and ramp up the "what's next?" noise.
Rookie watch: Johnny Manziel. So, finally, this is the week that Johnny Football supplants the struggling Brian Hoyer to become the 21st starting quarterback for Cleveland since the franchise was reborn in 1999. No player in recent memory has made his debut with such anticipation. The timing is right. There's nothing to lose, with the Browns essentially out of the playoff mix. Don't expect miracles. Manziel has played 17 snaps at quarterback. And the Bengals, in a dogfight race to stay atop the A-North, need this game for more reasons than to avenge a Week 10 drubbing from Cleveland. It's a step on the learning curve. Figure that coordinator Kyle Shanahan – whose fingerprints were all over Robert Griffin III's big rookie year in 2012 -- will craft a mobile gameplan allowing the small-framed Manziel to use his athleticism. It would be wise for Manziel to apply a lesson from Griffin's saga: Protect thyself. Can he endure NFL pounding? That might be the biggest question of all over the long run. Sunday could offer a few clues.
Stats the fact: That the Patriots host Miami with a chance to clinch a sixth consecutive AFC East title with a victory is impressive enough. But another streak that pops out to underscore dominance: Tom Brady has won 42 consecutive regular-season games at home against AFC opponents, dating to a 2006 loss to the Jets.