The Dallas Cowboys were without receiver Dez Bryant during Sunday’s 27-24 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers. Kevin Ogletree started in Bryant’s place, but was essentially a non-factor in the contest. Third-year receiver Jesse Holley didn’t play very much in the game, but made the play of the day with the contest on the line.
I wrote last week the Cowboys should sit Bryant against the 49ers after he bruised his thigh during Dallas’s 27-24 loss to the New York Jets in Week 1. However, I wrote Bryant should sit so the Cowboys could see what Ogletree could do when called upon to start. Dallas did just that and discovered a playmaker in Holley.
It’s been over three years since Holley caught a pass during a regular season game. That was in 2008 when Holley was in college at North Carolina. On Sunday, Holley had two huge receptions on the Cowboys’ final drive of regulation before making what ultimately became the game-winning play in overtime.
On the first play of Dallas’s only overtime drive, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo dropped back to pass looking left, when he turned his head to the right, his eyes grew three times in size as he saw Holley streaking down the seam with no red shirts in sight. Holley had beaten 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers off the line and caught Romo’s lobbed pass in stride and took it down the 1-yard line. From there, Cowboys undrafted rookie kicker Dan Bailey put the final points on the board with a 19-yard field goal.
Dallas has uncovered a receiver with excellent hands. Holley catches the ball away from his body, much the same way as fellow Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, who had three touchdown receptions against San Francisco. You can bet Holley’s playing time will increase after his late-game heroics on Sunday. Maybe sitting Bryant wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
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And people say reality shows mean nothing. 4th and Long needs more seasons apparently.
And yet, another article on this same website says Holley is “more famous for a reality show than anything he’s done on the football field.” Well…which is it?? Is Holley a diamond in the rough, like *this* article says (which I agree with, BTW)….or “more famous for a reality show than anything he’s done on the football field??”