Dallas Cowboys: "Garrett guy" or not, Jason Witten replaces Dez Bryant in his first Cowboys match for MNF

A year to the day after Tony Romo called his first Cowboys match at AT & T stadium as a CBS senior analyst, Jason Witten did the same for ESPN Monday night football.

And what a coincidence! Another former Cowboy, Dez Bryant, announced the news just before the Dallas-Tennessee game Monday night when the NFL network announced that Bryant would train for the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday.

Bryant's news broke out just as Witten, dressed in what many would call Cowboys' blue suit, was celebrated with a pre-game fixture on the AT & T giant video board just like Romo was last November.

Recall that when the Cowboys gave up Bryant last April, he gave a touching interview to the NFL network, during which he secretly blamed the "Garrett guys" and the players who "wore this" C ". to participate in his eviction.

Well, Witten was one of Cowboys' six captains last season, but after Bryant was dismissed and made that statement, Witten made it clear he had nothing to do with separation and congratulated Bryant as a great teammate.

And when Witten retired three weeks later, Bryant tweeted, "That's his name, he had to call me to believe in. First ballet, no question, what an incredible career, oh yes." I dropped a penny for you for six years. "

Unsurprisingly, with Amari Cooper debuting with the Cowboys on Monday, Witten MNF Booger McFarland, co-analyst, began discussions early in the second quarter, comparing Cooper and Bryant.

"Everyone was wondering: what did they lose when they lost Dez Bryant?" McFarland said. "They lost a guy who was a big physical receiver, he could not make quick cuts like Amari Cooper, he could not get in and out of his breaks, that's the only thing Cooper can do. is fast It brings speed to the Cowboy offense, and the last two years they did not have it.They were a slow offense, and now they are not. "

This is where Witten stepped in. During their first half season of MNFand again at Cowboys-Titans, Witten usually had the first word, McFarland the second, but this time it was Witten's turn to have the last word.

After all, who is more qualified to compare the Cowboys prior to Dez to the current group? Witten went a step further by comparing the Romo / Dez Cowboys, Dak / Dez Cowboys and Dak / Dez-less Cowboys.

WITTEN: "The only thing I would say is that last year 's offensive was different from where Dez Bryant shone and led the league by touchdowns. Dez did so well, probably better than anyone else in the league, took difficult. "

McFARLAND: "Good."

WITTEN: "He used his body, he figured out how to show off football, and it was an offense that Tony lived in. He liked to take risks, prolong the games on the pitch, aggressive. , with Dak Prescott, it's no longer a lot of turnovers, certainly, but it's the current game.It's an action game, get out of the pocket.And a little bit more timing, which was different than that of "14 with Dez Bryant."

Throughout the game, Witten has said few things that could be interpreted as a critique of the Cowboys. Even when Prescott, with the Cowboys in the lead 7-0, pitched Witten to a double cover in the end zone and suffered an interception, Witten said: "In this situation, Dak Prescott supported a little too much on him, thinking that his guy could win. "

In the meantime, most Cowboy fans thought: "What a stupid package."

At the beginning of the third quarter, while highlights of the first half were presented, including the interception, Witten had said: "There is double cover in this situation.You can not do that."

McFarland was responsible for delivering most of the Cowboys' criticism, especially when Dallas was behind, 21-14, and continued to infuriate McFarland by taking first place.

When Joe Prescott underwent his second interception, singer Joe Tessitore said Monday's game marked Prescott's tenth performance in the past two seasons, tied with the NFL's lead.

TESSITORE: "They must value football."

McFARLAND: "Well, they have to enjoy football, but, once again, a first downhill, they entered the match with the seventh lowest pass in the National Football League for the first time. Tennessee give nothing "Scott Linehan. Let Dak Prescott mature and grow in the pocket. If not, when?