Dez Bryant's Actions Are Perfect Microcosm to Dallas Cowboys' Shortcomings

While the most eye-catching thing about the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-7 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night may have been the Michael Vick-led Philadelphia offense, the actions of Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant had to be a close second.

As illustrated by Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, Bryant was abnormally demonstrative, and by that I mean abnormal for a regular human being, but apparently quite normal for Bryant. He pestered teammates on the sidelines continuously, including quarterback Tony Romo.

He also jawed at the officials all night and begged for calls to be made against the Eagles' defensive backs. While he may have had a point, his over-the-top behavior made a mockery of the Cowboys and reminded many of another former Cowboy diva receiver in Terrell Owens.

Say what you will about Bryant's actions simply being those of a player who is desperate to win, but a certain amount of professionalism is needed. Bryant, like many of Dallas' top players, and like Jerry's girlfriends on Seinfeld, each seem to have one odd deficiency that holds them back.

Bryant's is his immature behavior, Romo's is his fourth-quarter collapses and running back Felix Jones' is his inability to stay healthy. Perhaps no team in the league is more talented than the Cowboys, and that isn't a stretch, but at the same time, they are extremely flawed.

There is no denying Bryant's ability, but he hasn't produced in recent weeks. You can blame Romo for not getting him the ball, but perhaps Bryant is getting open, or maybe Romo simply trusts Miles Austin, Jason Witten and even Laurent Robinson more than Bryant and his bizarre attitude.

Bryant certainly isn't the only reason why the Cowboys are 3-4 when they could easily be as good as 6-1, but his actions do a pretty good job of encompassing what plagues the underachieving Cowboys.