NFL teams
Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Cowboys again hold WR Dez Bryant out of preseason game action

NFL

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant will go into the regular season without having taken a snap in the preseason.

Bryant did not play in Saturday's 28-14 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, and the starters will not play in the preseason finale against the Houston Texans on Sept. 3. The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 13 against the New York Giants.

"I didn't think it was worth having him play six or eight plays in this ballgame," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "We didn't practice [Friday]. He warmed up before the game. He'll have off tomorrow and then we don't practice until Monday night. So we'll take him day-by-day and give him every chance to be healthy when he comes back."

Bryant has been troubled by a hamstring strain since Aug. 6 and was kept out of team drills during the Cowboys' last practice in Oxnard, California, on Thursday. Bryant took fewer than 20 team snaps after getting hurt and just two snaps in one-on-one drills, scoring touchdowns on both plays.

Bryant and Tony Romo have such a strong rapport that it won't take long to get their timing, even if it has to come on the practice field before they play the Giants.

"I think you always want to [have some preseason work], but I also think that we understand the situation and where it's a long season," Romo said. "We've got to ensure that he's not having to deal with this all the time, and hamstrings are a very tricky deal. So you'd rather be safe than sorry."

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