IRVING, Texas -- Tony Romo says defensive coverages are to blame for Dez Bryant catching only two passes after halftime this season.
Cowboys receivers coach Jimmy Robinson says it's a fluke, not a conspiracy.
As for Bryant, he'd rather not talk about any of it.
The less of an impact Bryant makes, the more of a story it becomes. This is an incredibly talented second-year receiver who was supposed to be a major weapon in the Dallas offense, and he's become invisible in the third and fourth quarters.
His lack of production -- and lack of opportunities during crunch time -- stand out even more considering every Cowboys game this season has been decided in the closing minutes. They are 2-3, with every loss by four points or less, and Bryant didn't catch a pass in the second half of any of those games.
Romo offered up several theories Thursday, starting with the notion that "coverage dictates where the ball goes."
"Sometimes he's going to catch 10 balls in a row, then they can take him away for 10 passes," Romo said.
Then Romo explained there are plays where he has to choose whether to throw to Bryant or his other key weapons, proven performers Miles Austin and Jason Witten. Romo again called it happenstance where the ball ends up going.
"Sometimes it's the guy who is closest, sometimes it's the matchup with the defensive back who is guarding him," Romo said.
Why not just make a conscious effort to get the ball to No. 88, just to see what he could do?
"Once you start trying to pick out (receivers), you're going to get in trouble," Romo said.
Bryant has a history of being late to meetings and has long been questioned about how well he knows the playbook.
Romo, however, was full of praise for Bryant.
"It's not anything that he's doing," Romo said. "He's doing a great job. He continues to get better as a player. You can see at different times he shows flashes where he's got a lot of ability. He's going to continue to grow and get better."
Notes: LB DeMarcus Ware returned to practice after a day off to rest his back. He was listed as limited. ... Romo said he will continue wearing a vest to protect his ribs for several more weeks but he hopes this will be the last week he needs to take a painkilling injection before the game.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
