LOS ANGELES _ Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant wasn't going to join teammates Tony Romo and Jason Witten on the sideline Saturday night. It's not in his DNA to turn down game action.
"Ain't no way I was going to sit," Bryant said. "I needed that. I needed to be on the field. I wanted to see something different. I felt different. I felt like I ran different, feel like I moved different. Just wanted to test myself."
In the end, Bryant showed he's back to his old self.
Bryant, playing in his first game since undergoing foot and ankle surgery in January, finished with two catches for 28 yards in the Cowboys' preseason opener against the Rams. He and Dak Prescott connected on an 18-yard back-shoulder throw and then on a 10-yard fade for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Bryant beat Rams cornerback Coty Sensabaugh on both plays. The touchdown catch had some resemblance to the infamous catch/no catch in the 2014 playoffs against the Green Bay Packers.
Bryant went up to catch the ball, extended over the goal line and then tucked it away. Upon review, the touchdown stood, unlike in Green Bay.
"There was no reminiscing at all," Bryant said. "It was kinda, sorta similar, but I let that one slide. That's a little chip I got on my shoulder, man. I think that's my reason I'm playing the way I'm playing today."
Cowboys coaches and fans likely reminisced about Bryant returning to his All-Pro form even though he played only 10 snaps. This is a guy who was never himself a year ago.
Bryant dealt with a hamstring injury during training camp and then broke his foot in the regular-season opener. He eventually returned, but never played at the level most expected.
Bryant is getting it back together, though.
"Oh, it was nice to see Dez," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "It kind of felt the same to me. Just his presence. He really had a great warmup, his approach to the game was critical for the leadership of this team.
"You know, those older players and established guys aren't going to play a whole lot. Some didn't play tonight much, but he got very serious and I thought it was great leadership on his part."
It's a continuation for what Bryant has flashed throughout training camp.
Bryant has made a couple of spectacular one-handed catches, and regularly beats Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne in practice drills.
It's clear that Bryant is determined to get back in the discussion as being one of the top receivers in the game after a disappointing season. Bryant posted career lows in receptions (31), receiving yards (401), TDs (3) and games played (9).
In the three seasons prior, Bryant had at least 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, a large reason for the Cowboys eventually handing him a five-year, $70 million contract with $45 million guaranteed.
But Bryant sat out much of the offseason work going into last season because of a contract dispute. That is why most within the organization feel Bryant struggled with injuries and production a year ago.
So it wasn't too surprising the Cowboys were on board with Bryant playing in the preseason opener, a game many veterans take off.
"He just needs to play," coach Jason Garrett said. "He's been away from it and he needed to be out there. He needed to run routes against an NFL corner in a game setting. He'll continue to do that over the course of the preseason. He's ready for it. Mentally and emotionally he was ready to play and I thought he did a nice job taking advantage of his opportunities."
Bryant also took advantage of a postgame opportunity, exchanging jerseys with Rams running back Todd Gurley. Both are represented by Roc Nation, and Bryant will add it to his collection.
"It goes in my bowling alley," Bryant said. "I have a bowling alley in my home. That's where I put all my jerseys."
