Prescott, Elliott Are Special, but Dez Bryant Makes the Cowboys Truly Dangerous

Since wide receiver Dez Bryant returned to form, the Dallas Cowboys are better than ever. 

The NFL is a pass-first league, and Bryant’s effect on the entire offense cannot be overlooked. Whether or not a team features the league’s best offensive line and leading rusher like the Cowboys, a complementary aerial attack is needed to balance the offense. 

Running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott exceeded every expectation placed on them this season. But Dallas is known for its triplets, and a crucial piece was missing through the first six weeks as Bryant dealt with injuries. 

Since the team’s Week 7 bye, the seventh-year receiver has caught 17 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns. 

Sunday’s 27-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens showed exactly how effective Bryant’s outside presence can be. His 80-yard, two-touchdown performance provided the spark the team needed when moving the ball early in the contest proved to be difficult. 

Not every team is going to bend to the will of Dallas’ impressive front five. The Ravens owned the league’s No. 1 defense coming into Sunday’s action, having surrendered only 281.6 yards per game. 

Baltimore features a mountainous defensive interior with 679 pounds of defensive tackle in Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce. They’re very difficult to move. Plus, Terrell Suggs can still get after the quarterback with the best of them. 

By the time the final whistle blew, Dallas had accumulated 417 offensive yards. 

At first, the Cowboys struggled with the stingy defense, as the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore noted: 

BAD OFFEFNSE ALERT: Cowboys have gone 4 consecutive possessions without scoring. First time that’s happened in a game all season.

— David Moore (@DavidMooreDMN) November 20, 2016

Once Bryant became more involved, the Dallas offense started to roll. 

The Oklahoma State product caught his first pass during the team’s initial touchdown drive. His real value showed on the following series as the Cowboys attempted to come back from a 10-7 deficit with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter. 

Bryant caught two passes to get Dallas to midfield before the offense worked itself into field-goal position to tie the game at 10 apiece. The wide receiver became an important part of the Cowboys’ initial second-half drive, too, per the Morning News’ Kate Hairopoulos: 

Four of Bryant’s five catches have come on Cowboys’ last drive of first half and first of second. He has 67 yards and the touchdown.

— Kate Hairopoulos (@khairopoulos) November 20, 2016

What makes Bryant special—aside from the fact …

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