Bryant also had a shouting match with tight end Jason Witten after the Lions' go-ahead touchdown with 12 seconds remaining, an exchange that was heated enough to prompt inactive defensive end DeMarcus Ware to step in and separate the two.

"My passion is always positive," said Bryant, who had three catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns on six targets in the loss. "It's always positive. It's going to remain the same way. I'm not saying anything wrong. I'm not saying anything bad. It's all positive. That's just what it is.

"I'm the nicest person off the field. When I'm on the field, even when I look angry, it's still all good passion. It's all good passion. I feel like that's what we need. I'm going to remain the same way. I feel like I love this game. I love it. In order to win, you've got to be passionate about this game. You have to be. You've got to let that dog come out and just put it all out there on the line."

Bryant offered no apologies for his animated antics, saying his intense passion is a critical ingredient to giving the Cowboys the best chance to win. He said he isn't concerned if the sideline outbursts look bad to outsiders.

"That's [the media's] problem, because everybody knows up in this locker room who I am," Bryant said. "It's been that way since day one. The day that I got drafted, like I told y'all, don't get it twisted: I love this game. I love my teammates. That's what it is.

"It's going to forever remain the same. It started in Pop Warner, went to middle school, went to high school, went to college, and it's here. It's going to stay that way. It won't change."

Bryant, who wasn't targeted by Romo until the final minute of the first half, appeared to be frustrated with not getting the ball before his first outburst. As he was leaving the field, Bryant ran toward Romo, jumped in the air and made several animated hand gestures while yelling toward the quarterback.

After a brief, emotional conversation with receivers coach Derek Dooley on the sideline in the third quarter, Bryant approached Romo on the bench, nudging Witten out of the way before hollering at the quarterback again. Bryant described the conversation as "just inside stuff" and said it was about the need for the offense to produce points.

"He's never complained to me about getting the ball," Romo said. "He knows that the ball's going where it's supposed to. He knows that.

"When you guys sometimes see emotions from Dez, it's just trying to 'rah, rah' more than it is being a 'me' guy. That's not who Dez is. I think that would be completely out of character for him if there was ever a 'me' situation."