Witten ‘crushed’ he’s not playing better


(Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE)

Tight end Jason Witten wasn’t himself during the Tampa Bay game with four drops and two penalties and just two catches for eight yards.

He wasn’t himself after the game when he ducked out of the locker room without speaking to the media.

Witten made amends for the latter Monday when he talked for 12 minutes, answering questions from reporters about his poor play. He still has no answers for the former but plans to work hard and turn his season around and make plays he is accustomed to making, those that made him a seven-time Pro Bowler.

He has six dropped passes the past two games, including two potential touchdown catches of 40 yards or more.

Witten, normally the reason the Cowboys are winning, is not used to be the reason the offense is struggling.

“Plays you make your whole career. … Crushes me that I didn’t,” he said. “You’ve got a chance to make some big plays, two that are probably 40-plus catches. A lot of tight ends go their whole career without getting 40-plus catches, you’ve got two back-to-back weeks. Trust me, it hurts when you don’t make those plays.”

Witten said his problems have nothing to do with age and nothing to do with the lacerated spleen injury he suffered in training camp.

He said he is healthy and feels good. He is just not getting it done.

“I think every player, regardless of the sport, they go through adversity at some point. Obviously this is it for me,” Witten said. “It’s a point in your career, everything’s going to be asked – is he slowing down, is he not being able to handle it, all that stuff. In my mind, it’s ridiculous.

“I wish there was a way I could say I wasn’t feeling good or I’m pressing or anything like that. It’s not that,” he added. “That would be the easy way to really get out of it, but bottom line is, you’ve got to get it fixed. Unacceptable.”