DETROIT -- Observed in the locker room after the Dallas Cowboys' 31-30 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Dez being Dez: Dez Bryant was unapologetic for his sideline outbursts, and coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo defended the wide receiver’s actions during the game and right after the game.

“I’ve been this way since Pop Warner,” Bryant said.

Said Garrett: “We want guys who want the football.” Said Romo: “Dez is never being a ‘me’ guy. That’s not who he is.”

Bryant has had such episodes in the past, but this one seemed to be more involved. DeMarcus Ware separated Bryant and Jason Witten, but later both players hugged in the locker room.

Blown opportunity: The Cowboys have had their share of gut-wrenching losses in recent years, but Garrett attempted to be as detached emotionally as he possibly could after the game.

The Cowboys blew two 10-point leads in the fourth quarter and allowed 24 fourth-quarter points, culminating in Matthew Stafford's 1-yard leap with 12 seconds to play. At 4-4, the Cowboys remain in first place in the NFC East, but they missed a huge opportunity to create more separation in the division, and now they have to worry about a hangover heading into next week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We didn’t do what we needed to do to win the ballgame, period,” Garrett said. “They did. We didn’t. We have to live with that and look ourselves in the mirror and it starts with me, the coaching staff, every player in that locker room. Just got to do better, and we have to learn from that experience and find a way to win that game. We were in position to win the ballgame and had opportunities on offense, defense and the kicking game to end it and we didn’t do it. We just have to understand the importance of each sequence, each play to the outcome of the ballgame, and we didn’t get it done.”

Nightmare return: Brandon Carr's return to Michigan did not go well. Calvin Johnson had a superhuman game with 14 catches for 329 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys had 268 yards of offense as a team.

Johnson had an 87-yard grab in the first quarter on Carr, and a 54-yarder in the fourth quarter. He set up Stafford’s game-winning touchdown with a 22-yarder down the seam to the Dallas 1.

“They had a player that was hot and they kept feeding him and feeding him and rode him to victory,” Carr said.