Bryant on why he's a 'much better receiver' than last season

Published Dec. 13, 2013 8:59 p.m. ET

foxsports

IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said Thursday that Dez Bryant is a better player than he was a year ago. Although it's been difficult to prove that recently on the stat sheet, Bryant agreed with Garrett on Friday.

"I feel the exact same way," Bryant said. "I'm a much better receiver than I was last year."

Why does he feel that way?

"My approach of the game, the understanding, reading coverages," Bryant said, "I can go on and on about how much better I am than last year."

Bryant is on pace for 86 receptions for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns. He finished with 92 catches for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Over the last four games, Bryant's averaging only 4.7 catches for 50.7 yards.

"I'm very confident in what I do," Bryant said. "I believe I can do whatever these coaches ask me to do. It's just some things I can't control. I can only do what I can control and that's keep my teammates motivated even when bad stuff happens. It's also a challenge for myself, the way I play, to keep myself motivated and make sure everybody is sticking together."