IRVING, Texas - Every season of his career, he's gotten better.
Last year, he set personal-highs in receptions with 50, easily topping the 36 he caught the year before.
But as he enters Sunday's regular season as the Cowboys' No. 2 wide receiver, Patrick Crayton said he isn't focused on the half-hundred balls he caught in 2007, but rather on two specific incomplete passes from last year's playoff loss to the Giants.
Those two passes that weren't caught have driven Crayton all off-season.
"It's still eating at me," Crayton said of last year's loss. "I won't get a chance to get rid of that feeling . . . it will start in Cleveland. It will be a process until we get to our destination."
The destination is the Super Bowl, of course.
And the reason the Cowboys didn't make it there last year, despite a 13-3 regular-season record and home-field advantage in the playoffs, was because they couldn't get past the Giants, the eventual winner.
Crayton knows he was involved in at least one of the pivotal plays down the stretch.
The usually sure-handed receiver had a key drop on the final play of the third quarter that would've given the Cowboys a first down and extended a drive. Instead, the Cowboys were forced to punt, which was returned 25 yards, leading to the Giants' eventual go-ahead and game-winning score.
"It's unfortunate that it happens like that," Crayton said. "But there's nothing you can do. You just have to learn from it and get better."
Crayton also knows he was blamed for an incomplete pass on the Cowboys' final drive against the Giants in which he hesitated before darting up the field, allowing Tony Romo's pass to sail over his head with less than a minute to play.
However, changing the route in the middle of the play requires perfect timing. Without dodging the criticism, Crayton said he doesn't worry about that play. Although it could've given the Cowboys the lead, he knows miscommunication is common in the wild scramble of a two-minute offense.
But nonetheless, Crayton has heard the criticism. From the plays in last year's Giants game to simply not being flashy enough, for some reason Crayton doesn't seem to satisfy the fans, the media, and maybe even more than that.
He knows the Cowboys had some minor interest in acquiring a big-name receiver such as Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin or even Chad Johnson in the off-season. But none of those receivers were ever seriously on the trading block and nothing materialized.
Plus, he knows the Cowboys have confidence in his ability. If they didn't, they would've drafted a receiver in one of the seven rounds this past April. They would've added some kind of veteran receiver, if not overpaid for one of the aforementioned receivers.
And they might not have parted ways with Terry Glenn just before the start of camp. In fact, Cowboys' owner and general manager Jerry Jones said this past summer that having Glenn might have even halted the progress of Crayton last year.
So he knows the Cowboys have his back. As for the rest of his critics, mainly the ones pushing for the club to sign another receiver, he shrugs it off.
"You laugh at it, really," Crayton said. "If they're not in this organization, tell me how you know what we need? You use it a little bit. But really, if it's being said around the league, if another player says that, then maybe you look at that. But not a TV analyst or something.
"You're judged by your peers in this league. Your game is judged by what you do against competition and the best players in the world. That's how you're put in your stacking order."
But while it seems Crayton doesn't focus on any negativity from the media, he certainly hasn't given them much material here in training camp. From a consistency standpoint, Crayton was a solid rock during camp and the preseason games, and his teammates believe he's ready to make that next step here in 2007.
"We've always looked at Patrick as a big part of what we're doing," tight end Jason Witten said. "Patrick goes in as the No. 2 receiver every week. I think he's gained a lot of respect, not just from the staff, but the players. I think he knows his role. And he's been up for every challenge they've put in his face."
Among Crayton's current challenges is to stay healthy. Aside from the team's two starters, Crayton and Terrell Owens, the Cowboys have been jolted by injuries at receiver during the preseason.
As a result, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin will not play Sunday in Cleveland, leaving the Cowboys with just Isaiah Stanback as the third receiver, and even he is banged up, having to wear a harness on his shoulder.
The Cowboys will likely sign a receiver from the practice squad, presumably Mike Jefferson, before they take off for Cleveland on Saturday.
"We're hurting right now, but we just have to get through it," Crayton said. "We have confidence in the young guys to step up. We're going to run our same offense and execute the same plays.
"We could sit here and give excuses that we're down two guys. But that's not the case. We'll never sit here and give excuses. Someone has to step up and keep it going. You can't worry about things you can't control."
That's a lesson he has figured out this off-season.
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