There are a couple ways one could read Dez Bryant’s volatile show of emotion on the Cowboys’ sideline Thursday: either (a) it was a show of competitiveness reminiscent of Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, or (b) it was a show of selfishness, reminiscent of Terrell Owens. In an appearance on ESPN Radio’s Ben & Skin show on Friday, the original number 88, Drew Pearson, made clear which side of the fence he stood on.
“I think it was more the T.O.-type emotion,” Pearson said, per ESPN Dallas. “I think that emotion was more individually oriented or individually based.”
Bryant had no catches on Thursday, as the Saints centered their game plan around the dynamic young rookie. But around the third quarter, Bryant was seen on the sidelines yelling effusively at coaches and teammates, and indeed drew a comparison to Irvin from commentator and Cowboys legend Troy Aikman. Pearson understands the desire, as a receiver, to have the ball thrown your way, but doesn’t believe that the rookie had the team in mind when displaying such emotion.
“What disappointed me out of the whole scene was that when they get back on the field, I guess they were listening to him on the sideline,” Pearson said. “In key situations, they were trying to force the ball to him and they didn’t have any success doing that.
“Sometimes we receivers react that way. We want the ball, there’s no question. But you’ve got to understand – and the quarterbacks and coach and all that have to decipher – whether this is an individual rant or if it’s a rant that goes with the flow of the game. … To me, from what I saw and from my experience of ranting myself, that was more of an individual rant, for sure.”
Stay on top of the latest Dallas Cowboys news with NBCDFW.com. Follow NBC DFW Sports on Facebook or have breaking Cowboys news sent directly to your phone with Blue Star SMS alerts. Text "bluestar" to 622339 (NBCDFW) to subscribe to this free service. Read more about it here.
