FRISCO, Texas – Two Sundays ago in the visitor's locker room at Lambeau Field, Dez Bryant wanted the attention on his teammates. Not himself.
The Cowboys had just extended their winning streak to five with a 30-16 over the Green Bay Packers, and Bryant wanted to celebrate their win. He also couldn't wait to join them on the field again.
A hairline fracture in his knee had sidelined him for a third straight game, but he was making progress with the injury.
"I'll be ready to roll Sunday night," he said, referring to Oct. 30 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, 10 days later, fresh off a bye week that provided extra rest and recovery time, Bryant is still pointing toward a return to the lineup on Sunday Night Football.
He took part in a limited portion of practice Wednesday and said afterward he felt "damn good."
"I'm excited," he said. "I get to be back with my teammates, get to be part of the excitement. It's just fun. Just can't wait to get out there and have fun."
The Cowboys might have won three games without Bryant (San Francisco, Cincinnati, Green Bay), but they miss their star receiver's big-play ability, as well as his presence creating one-on-one opportunities for other receivers.
Bryant has 11 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in three appearances this season. If indeed he's active Sunday, he needs 25 receiving yards to become the 6th player in team history with 6,000.
Even though he continued to show improvement in limited practices the week of the Packers game, the Cowboys continued to be deliberate with his recovery.
"He's dealt with this injury and he's been chomping at the bit to come back and play," head coach Jason Garrett said before Wednesday's practice. "And medically we just felt like it was important for him to wait to heal up a little bit more, give it a little more time."
Bryant admits he "was really trying to get out there" against Green Bay, but he credited the athletic training staff with keeping him on a steady track toward full health. And he feels he hasn't lost a step with his conditioning.
"It also helped me having that extra week to prepare for the Eagles," he said. "I feel damn good."
The Cowboys' third-ranked offense could certainly use his help against the NFL's fifth-ranked defense.
"Sunday night, man," Bryant said. "All smiles. Let's go."
