After dropping key passes in Thursday’s season opener, Lamb didn’t shy away from his miscues.
If the NFL season opener told us anything about this path the Cowboys are on, their star players need to respond in big moments.
That didn’t happen for CeeDee Lamb.
The Cowboys receiver dropped possibly four passes, including an inexcusable three in the fourth quarter of a 24-20 loss to the Eagles on Thursday night.
Cowboys
Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.
SIGN UP
Or with:
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Lamb finished with seven catches for 110 yards on 13 targets as an exciting game turned sluggish in the second half, with both teams looking out of sorts due to an hour-plus-long lightning delay.
But Lamb needed to showcase his skills as someone, team owner Jerry Jones believes, is worth the big money contract he’s receiving.
Advertisement
Lamb didn’t do that.
He didn’t shy away from his miscues.
“Man, that’s terrible,” Lamb said. “Honestly, I feel like, I mean, I can’t point no fingers at nobody else. I take full accountability and everything else that come with it. As for me, as a player, I’ve prayed for moments like that (for) the ball (to) come my way and obviously for me not to come up with it, it stings a little bit. But I will tell you if you don’t think I’m not coming back anytime better than this, you got another thing coming.”
Advertisement
Lamb is normally one of the sure-handed players in the league. Yet, all four dropped passes would have turned into first downs.
Advertisement
He let a pass hit his chest in the second quarter, and at the start of the fourth quarter, things turned miserable. On a third-and-10, a Dak Prescott pass went through Lamb’s hands.
On a second and five, with 2:40 left, Lamb dropped another target. The last drop, occurring on a fourth-and-three, was a deep pass down the sidelines. Lamb, with a step on Eagles corner Cooper DeJean, stretched out for the ball and failed to secure it with 1:54 left.
That was the last offensive play of the night.
Advertisement
When the Cowboys arrived in Texas following the loss around 4 a.m. Friday morning, Lamb went to The Star at 1:30 p.m. and was working on the JUGS Machine.
Alone.
It impressed his coach.
“At the end of the day, win or lose, I’m always going to go around and talk to the guys and love them up,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said during a Friday conference call. “No one felt worse than CeeDee did. You heard that in his postgame comments, he took the accountability just like we all should. I’m going to be the first one that’s going to stand up in front of the podium and say hey this is a team game and when I make mistakes I’m going to take accountability and he did that.”
Advertisement
If you talk to anyone associated with the Cowboys after the season-opening loss, this was a game they could have won.
This group ran the ball with some efficiency as running back Javonte Williams gained 54 yards on 15 carries and two scores.
Prescott didn’t need to throw for over 400 yards because managing the game was more prudent than taking over. Prescott made the necessary throws to put his team in position to win a game.
With star pass rusher Micah Parsons plying his trade in Green Bay, it was time for Lamb’s emergence as a star.
Advertisement
If anything, the defense held the Eagles’ offense to just three second-half points, a 58-yard field goal by Jake Elliott, and gave the offense a chance to win the game multiple times in the fourth quarter.
That’s all you seek from a defense in a close game: Give the offense a chance to win the game.
It seems there’s a deficiency in star power with Parsons gone.
Advertisement
It was Lamb’s opportunity, and he missed it.
This can’t be the norm with one of the top receivers in the NFL.
“God has a mysterious way of humbling folks and I did come in with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder,” Lamb said. “Again, it’s a lesson well learned, again I deserve everything that comes with it.”
In what might be a sign, the margin of error is small for the Cowboys without Parsons as the X factor, and it leads to other stars stepping up.
Advertisement
“I need to catch the damn ball,” Lamb said.
Related StoriesView MoreJalen Carter’s ejection from Cowboys-Eagles was latest spit-driven dismissal in sportsWill Eagles DT Jalen Carter be suspended after spitting on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott?Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders open ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ after NFL openerCowboys failed to open Eagles’ gifts, but still left Philly with a nice surprise
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Read more on The Dallas Morning News
