Hardy Returns Big To Cowboys, Is Dez Next?
By Shawn S. Lealos
The Dallas Cowboys head into their bye week at just the right time. They won their first two games of the season and took control of the NFC East before losing Tony Romo and Dez Bryant and dropping their next three games. Heading into the bye week, the Cowboys have their defense at full strength but have too many questions at running back. Here is a look at some of the buzz worthy Dallas Cowboys stories this week.
Greg Hardy Makes Debut
When the Dallas Cowboys signed Greg Hardy this off-season, many fans spoke out against the signing. He sat out all but one game of the 2014 NFL season under suspension for alleged domestic abuse. He spent four more games suspended in 2015 and finally made his comeback against the New England Patriots. Heading into the game, the media focused on Hardy's words and easy attitude and lashed out at him. After the game, all talk was about his on field action. In his first game back after sitting out 19 games, Hardy sacked Tom Brady twice, knocked him down five times, and caused a fumble. Hardy made this defense better instantly. "He's a good football player, and he works hard," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "It didn't surprise me that he would have a really good impact in the game."
A Cowboys Quarterback Controversy
Heading into the Dallas Cowboys bye week, a quarterback controversy is brewing. Tony Romo will miss the next four games due to his injury and Brandon Weeden is 0-3 as a starter. Weeden has not been bad, but he hasn't done what he needs to do to win. He has completed 72.4 percent of his passes, which is almost the same as Romo before him. He has averaged 7.5 yards per pass, which is also almost the same as Romo before him. Weeden has two touchdowns and two interceptions while Romo had two touchdowns and two interceptions. He almost led the Cowboys to victory against the New Orleans Saints. However, Matt Cassel was active this last week and fans want him in and Weeden out. Garrett is considering the possibility. "You look at what we're asking him to do and how he handles that and then how he executes those plays on a consistent basis, week in and week out and you look at the overall production of the quarterback," Garrett said.
Dez Bryant Wants to Return
While choosing between Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel, the Dallas Cowboys still have to find someone to catch the passes. Terrance Williams has played horribly since Romo went down, Cole Beasley can only do so much out of the slant, and Devin Street has never proven he is NFL caliber. The Cowboys need Dez Bryant back and he wants to return. Bryant has said that he can return after the bye week, but he needs to practice and prove that he won't hurt his foot worse by returning early. "The bone has to heal. Him being a tough guy doesn't really matter in this situation," Garrett said. "It's a medical decision and he's certainly going to give himself every chance to play." Losing another game or two is not as important as bringing Bryant back at 100 percent.
Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.