Bryant had four receptions for 85 yards in a 24–17 win against the New York Giants in the season opener. The next two games were average performances, totaling only 79 receiving yards on nine receptions and no touchdowns. Dallas lost the game in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 27–7 and won in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 16-10. In the Week 4, 34–18 loss to the Chicago Bears, Bryant had eight receptions for 105 yards. This marked the fourth straight game of the season without a touchdown, and no touchdowns on 21 catches for the season that point. After the Week 5 bye, Bryant caught his first two touchdowns of the season, while setting his career-high 13 receptions in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 31-29. With 32 seconds remaining in the game, Bryant caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Romo to bring the score to 31–29. Following a failed two-point conversion, Dallas recovered an onside kick to give the offense one last opportunity to win the game. Kicker Dan Bailey attempted a 51-yard field goal, but it sailed wide left to end the game 31–29. Throughout September and October, Bryant was being criticized in the media for dropping balls, fumbles and running poor routes, but he started to live up to his potential in a Week 8 game against the New York Giants, when he registered 110 yards on only five catches, and almost came up with a last-minute hail mary touchdown, but it was reversed because his hand was ruled out of bounds. Against the Eagles, he amassed 87 yards on three catches, with one touchdown. This brought his Week 9 and 10 performances to 102 yards on four receptions and one touchdown. That Week 10 performance was the start of a breakout season, worthy of Pro Bowl consideration. In Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns, Bryant had 12 catches for a then-career-high 145 yards, breaking his previous personal best of 110 yards during Week 8 against the Giants. In Week 12, against the Washington Redskins, he head eight receptions for 145 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 38–31 loss. Against the New Orleans Saints in a Week 16 loss, he had the best game of his career to that point, with nine receptions for a career-high 224 yards, two touchdowns, and tying the franchise record for most consecutive games, with seven, with at least a touchdown reception, which is shared with Franklin Clarke (1961–1962), Bob Hayes (1965–1966), and Terrell Owens (2007). Dez's 224 receiving yards were the fourth most in franchise history at the time. In the last game of the season, Bryant had four receptions for 71 yards in the Week 17 loss to rival and eventual division champions, the Redskins. Since week 10 and the midway point of the 2012 season, Bryant accumulated 879 yards and 10 touchdowns on 50 receptions (17.6 yards/catch average).
Dez Bryant Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family
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