Tag: Dez Bryant

Updated NFC East playoff picture after Giants 27-13 loss to the Ravens

The Eagles entered Week 16 needing some help to remain in the playoff hunt and the Baltimore Ravens provided that helping hand.

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The Eagles entered Week 16 needing some help to remain in the playoff hunt and the Baltimore Ravens provided that helping hand.

In the post-Week-15 NFC East playoff scenarios per Deniz Selman, the Eagles needed the Giants to lose one of their final two-games (Bal, DAL), and on Sunday, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens made things interesting heading to the afternoon slate of games.

Jackson went 17 of 26, for 183 and 2 touchdowns as Baltimore dominated the Giants at home.
Gus Edwards led the Ravens with 85 yards on 15 carries.

All four teams are currently still alive with the Giants’, loss and it sets up a scenario where three teams in the division need a Washington loss at home to Carolina to keep hopes alive.

If Washington loses and the Eagles defeat the Cowboys, then the Football Teams’ Week 17 matchup in Philadelphia will be for the division title.

If Washington loses to Carolina and the Cowboys defeat the Eagles, then the Football Team could still win the division at Philadelphia in Week 17.

If Washington loses to Carolina, the Eagles lose to the Cowboys in Week 16 and the Football Teams loses at Philadelphia in Week 17, then the Week 17 matchup between Dallas and the New York Giants would be for the division title.

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Dez Bryant dedicates game ball vs. Jaguars to his daughter for convincing him to play again

After a tough road, Baltimore Ravens WR Dez Bryant saved the ball from his first TD catch in over three years for his daughter

For the second consecutive week, the Baltimore Ravens had something happen that is made-for-TV levels of perfect. After fighting back into the league, earning a shot with the Ravens, and having a COVID-19 scare; wide receiver Dez Bryant finally found the end zone. Bryant’s 11-yard touchdown catch in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars is the first in over three years for the veteran wide receiver.

Following Sunday’s win over the Jaguars and with ball-in-hand, Bryant dedicated the game ball to his daughter for pushing him to attempt a comeback. While it might not have always been pretty or perfect, Bryant’s emotion at the podium was undeniably pure.

Just take a look at Bryant’s heart-melting comment following Baltimore’s win Sunday:

 

I’m not crying, you’re crying . . .

Bryant hasn’t been one to shy away from his emotions, earning as much adoration as scorn from fans throughout his career because of it. When the Ravens signed him to the practice squad, Bryant admitted his emotions were “running high.” Bryant’s road back to the football field hasn’t been an easy one, making this moment all the sweeter.

After being released by the Dallas Cowboys following the 2017 season, Bryant signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 only to suffer a season-ending Achilles injury that held him out until this season when Baltimore picked up the phone. Even then, it took two tryouts for Bryant to get signed to the practice squad, a little longer before he was called up for his first game, and even longer before he made his first catch.

But Bryant’s comeback hit a major snag the same day as he was supposed to face his former team, the Cowboys. Shortly before kickoff, Bryant tested positive for COVID-19, seeing him pulled from the field and unable to play such an important game. Making matters worse, Bryant ended up testing negative following the game, making his way back to the 53-man roster just five days after being put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Prior to the game against Dallas, Bryant said it was his daughter’s questioning that made him try to play in the NFL again this season.

“My daughter kept asking me if I was going to play football, and I just ignored the question,” Bryant said. “I was like, ‘You know what, baby? I’m going to give it a go.’”

With his first touchdown catch of the season, Bryant said he was going to go Facetime his daughter and show her the game ball right after he was done with post-game interviews.

You can’t help but feel excited and proud of Bryant after a day like today.

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WATCH: Dez Bryant throws up the “X” after 1st TD with Ravens

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant has worked hard to get to this point but caught his first TD pass in over three years in Week 15.

It took a few weeks and a COVID-19 scare, but wide receiver Dez Bryant caught his first touchdown pass as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. It was an 11-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Lamar Jackson to Bryant at the tail end of the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15.

The veteran showed his experience by helping out Jackson, who was under pressure and looking for an open man in the end zone. On the play, Bryant craftily mirrored Jackson, moving left and beating his coverage to come open and catch the touchdown pass. Right after the score, Bryant threw up the “X” — his famous touchdown celebration — to the piped-in roar from the non-existent crowd.

Maybe I’m alone here, but seeing Bryant catch a touchdown pass for the Ravens was towards the bottom of any list of things I was expecting this season. But at any rate, this is Bryant’s first touchdown in over three years, after getting cut from the Dallas Cowboys following the 2017 season. Bryant has contributed intermittently after being elevated from the practice squad, but looks primed for a bigger role as Baltimore makes a playoff push.

This event, while seemingly routine for a team that’s been averaging just shy of 28 points per game, signals the heralded return of Bryant, who has been looking to re-establish himself in the league for some time now.

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Throw up the X: Dez Bryant scored a TD for the first time in 3 years

Dez caught it, and brought back his signature celebration.

Dez Bryant missed two seasons rehabilitating the achilles tendon he tore two days after signing with the Saints in November 2018.

He maintained a desire to play, though, and finally latched on with the Ravens earlier this year.

Then his revenge game against Dallas, where he spent eight seasons and set a franchise record for TD catches with 73, was taken from him by a positive COVID-19 test. (He tweeted through it, hilariously.)

Well, Bryant has returned for the Ravens this week, and he’s finally gotten into the end zone again for the first time since Dec. 10, 2017.

Of course he broke out his signature celebration, too.

Dez caught it. For sure.

It’d been a long, long time.

Everybody loved this bit of redemption:

And you can tell how much Bryant’s teammates admire him.

So, yeah. You can. You should. Throw up the X at home. Go ahead. There you go.

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Watch: Dez Bryant catches first TD pass in 1,106 days

Lamar Jackson got Dez Bryant back in the scoring column with an 11-yard pass against the Jaguars

Dez Bryant has a touchdown as a Baltimore Ravens.

Watch as the veteran wideout never gives up and keeps moving until he gets enough separation on Sunday for Lamar Jackson to find him from 11 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The last TD pass Bryant had caught was a 50-yarder from Dak Prescott on Dec. 10, 2017. That came in a 30-10 Dallas victory over the New York Giants.

It was Bryant’s 74th receiving TD.

 

Ravens activate WR Dez Bryant, CB Terrell Bonds from Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Ravens got WR Dez Bryant back from the Reserve/COVID-19 list after quite the interesting last few days of positive and negative tests.

If you’ve been following Dez Bryant’s saga for the last two weeks, you probably have a case of mental whiplash. But after just five days on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Bryant is headed back to the 53-man roster, according to the team’s Twitter account. Bryant is joined by cornerback Terrell Bonds, who also rejoins the team from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Bryant was initially put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Dec. 10 after having a positive point-of-care test before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys two nights prior. But Bryant’s brush with the coronavirus isn’t nearly that simple.

Bryant initially had an inconclusive test from the morning of the game, with the team getting the test results back just minutes before kickoff. With the inconclusive results, Bryant was given a point-of-care test, which came back positive. However, Bryant had been on the field during individual warm-ups and was spotted interacting with Cowboys players and staff, in some cases with his mask down. Making the situation even crazier is Bryant said he tested negative over the following days, forcing coach John Harbaugh to clarify the veteran wide receiver’s status.

With Baltimore’s wide receivers struggling, especially on Monday night against the Cleveland Browns where there were several drops, Bryant’s addition to the offense will be a welcome one. As the Ravens are looking to lock up a playoff berth and find their lost offensive mojo, the hope is Bryant can add another dimension the team is currently missing.

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh clarifies Dez Bryant’s COVID-19 situation

One day he tested positive, then he’s negative — Ravens WR Dez Bryant isn’t the only one confused. But John Harbaugh clarified things

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant isn’t the only one confused about his situation. Bryant was pulled from the field shortly before the Ravens kicked off against the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, after testing positive for COVID-19. But in the subsequent days, Bryant has said he’s tested negative, though he was still put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

While there have been plenty of storylines regarding the NFL and COVID-19 this season, Bryant’s case has earned quite a bit more attention. His removal from the field just before a game mixed with some questions about the NFL’s transparency and contact tracing have only fueled speculation and intrigue. At a time when seemingly everyone is uneasy about the coronavirus and how it all works, Bryant’s story sticks out.

Though Harbaugh admitted the science behind it and the specifics of the NFL’s testing protocols are “out of his realm,” he did clarify the situation and gave a better breakdown of where Bryant stands in the process.

“He has had some negative tests,” Harbaugh said Saturday. “There’s a protocol that goes with that — a certain number of days that you have to test negative after a certain number of positive tests. He’s on schedule with that and that’s where it stands right now, he’s still on the COVID-19/Reserve list at this time.”

Though Bryant has been well behaved in Baltimore, his frustration is clearly growing and I can’t really blame him. By his previous tweets, Bryant had been in the dark about the protocols and why he was still out despite testing negative. Ultimately, that’s a breakdown somewhere in the process, seeing a player be uninformed about their own health and standing on the team as things happen around them. Considering Week 13 against the Cowboys was the most important game of the last few years for Bryant, and it was pulled out from underneath of him, I don’t think many people would blame him for being upset.

However, the good here is that, according to Harbaugh, Bryant has had several negative tests and is on schedule to return. When exactly that could be is still a giant question mark but it’s a step in the right direction.

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Dez Bryant says he’s tested negative for COVID-19 again Friday

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant seemingly can’t catch a break, saying he’s tested negative for COVID-19 once again.

The Baltimore Ravens’ COVID-19 saga continues this week and on quite a different note than previous weeks.

The Ravens have been steadily returning players from the Reserve/COVID-19 list but saw wide receiver Dez Bryant pulled from the field shortly before kickoff Tuesday against the Dallas Cowboys. While there are plenty of questions around Bryant’s positive test before the game and the NFL’s contact tracing, the whole thing took a new twist in the days that followed.

On Thursday, Bryant said he had tested negative for COVID-19 on back-to-back tests. Yet, the Ravens put Bryant on the Reserve/COVID-19 list shortly after the veteran wide receiver tweeted that out. Then Friday, Bryant once again tweeted he had tested negative.

Bryant, rightfully upset about the matter, continued to tweet his dismay at the lack of transparency and communication. This isn’t the first time a Ravens player has questioned the NFL’s COVID-19 procedures and policies this season, seeing Derek Wolfe and Mark Andrews tweet mocking the league’s stance on player health and safety ahead of Week 12’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Right now, Bryant is still on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. But it’s unclear why he’s still on the list if he truly has had repeated negative tests. Since the NFL and Baltimore typically don’t discuss an individual player’s status regarding COVID-19, I wouldn’t expect an answer soon.

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Ravens place WR Dez Bryant on the Reserve/COVID-19 list

The Baltimore Ravens placed wide receiver Dez Bryant on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday after he returned a positive test on Tuesday

The Baltimore Ravens announced on Thursday they’ve placed wide receiver Dez Bryant on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The move comes a few days after Bryant returned a positive test just a few minutes before the kickoff of Baltimore’s Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Though Bryant downplayed the game the week prior, he was certainly looking forward to playing his old team. Similarly, Bryant was rightfully devastated when he was pulled off the field, taking to Twitter to vent his frustrations and even say he was quitting the 2020 season because of it. While Bryant eventually walked back his quitting comment, he’s been very vocal on Twitter over the matter. Bryant again took to Twitter on Thursday to say he’s had back-to-back negative tests but wasn’t spotted at practice before being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Ravens don’t announce when players have tested positive for COVID-19 or if they’ve been labeled as a “close contact,” so it’s not perfectly clear what Bryant’s status actually is. However, if he has tested positive, he’ll miss a minimum of 10 days due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols. There is a small possibility that Bryant could return sooner than that if it’s proven that he doesn’t fall into either of those categories, like what happened earlier in the season with Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Bryant has appeared in three games for the Ravens in 2020, accumulating four receptions for 28 yards. He’s provided a veteran presence in an extremely young wide receiver room, which has made him a welcome addition to the team. When and if he returns to the field for Baltimore, he’ll be relied upon to make an impact in the passing game.

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Dez Bryant says he’s had back-to-back negative COVID-19 tests

After getting pulled from the field just minutes before kickoff, Baltimore Ravens WR Dez Bryant says he’s tested negative for COVID-19

The Baltimore Ravens COVID-19 saga continues this week. But unlike the two weeks ago where player after player was getting put on Reserve/COVID-19 list, this time, it’s about a potential false positive.

Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted that he’s had back-to-back negative COVID-19 tests. While that’s some level of relief, considering the coronavirus’s very real and potentially serious side effects, it still has to be especially frustrating for Bryant.

Just minutes before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys — Bryant’s former team — the veteran wide receiver was pulled from the field and given a point-of-care test that came back positive. While Bryant downplayed the game’s weight and his departure from Dallas following the 2017 season, he was clearly very frustrated after getting taken out of that matchup.

It’s unclear right now exactly where Bryant stands when it comes to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols. He hasn’t been put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list yet and while two negative tests should allow him to return to the team, few would blame Baltimore or the league for having an abundance of caution. Bryant was not spotted on the Ravens’ practice field Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, making the situation just a little muddier.

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