With five minutes left in regulation, Dak Prescott threw a pass to CeeDee Lamb on second-and-2 that would have resulted in a first down. With Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson closing in, the ball went through Lamb’s hands. After the play, Lamb planted his legs into the turf and stuck both hands on the sides of his helmet.
“Don’t see that from CeeDee much,” Fox color commentator Tom Brady said. “Just some of that body language from him today — CeeDee’s a great player, there’s no doubt about it. Just a little frustration. Sometimes that frustration on the sideline leads to frustration on the field. When I see him at his best, he’s excitable, he brings the juice, brings the energy.”
The Dallas Cowboys’ offense has been disappointing to start the season. The threat of a strong running game has been non-existent. The depth of playmakers in the passing game warrants legitimate concern. As a unit, the offensive line is still figuring out things. The known commodities surrounding Prescott are tight end Jake Ferguson and Lamb. Ferguson looked solid in his return from injury, leading the Cowboys in targets (11), receptions (six) and yards (95).
Lamb’s evening was much different. The star receiver finished with four catches for 67 yards on seven targets, and the box score only begins to tell the story of disappointment.
The Cowboys’ defense was predictably bad to start the game, allowing the Ravens to run the ball at will and score touchdowns on each of their first two drives. In order to stay in the game, the Cowboys needed to sustain drives of their own. They needed to score points, and not just the 3 points that Brandon Aubrey’s leg guarantees, but finishing drives in the end zone for touchdowns.
Trailing 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter, the Cowboys marched into the red zone. Prescott completed a pass to Lamb on first down from the 19-yard line. As Lamb tried to navigate his way through the middle of the field, Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins jarred the ball loose from behind. Instead of a touchdown, or even a field goal, the Cowboys had nothing to show for a 60-yard drive that would have made it a one-possession game.
FORCED FUMBLE BY @WigginNathaniel!!!! @MarcusWilliams RECOVERS!!!
Tune in on FOX!! pic.twitter.com/8tQwUPglhi
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 22, 2024
For as much as the Cowboys talked about this season being different for Brandin Cooks because it’s his second year in Dallas and with Prescott in Mike McCarthy’s offense, the results haven’t materialized. In the last two games combined, Cooks has four catches for 35 yards. There was also plenty of dialogue about Jalen Tolbert taking a big step in his third season. While Tolbert’s play has been solid as the No. 3 receiver, it isn’t enough to compensate for the void of a reliable No. 2 receiver and a bad game from the No. 1.
Lamb had three catches for 58 yards in the first half. In the second half, he caught one pass for 9 yards and it came at the beginning of the third quarter.
After the game, Lamb did not speak to reporters in the locker room.
“I think, especially in a game like today, the most important thing is to look straight in the mirror,” McCarthy said.
With Lamb choosing to skip his media obligations, his teammates were left answering questions about his performance and body language.
“Reading body language, I’m not really into it,” Prescott said. “I’m just into making sure that he doesn’t get down on himself. The body language, whether it’s good or it’s bad, it’s irrelevant. It’s where his mind is. He’s going to be disappointed. When you’re passionate and when you expect a lot from yourself, you’re going to be that way. For me, it’s about just letting him know, ‘Hey, next play, wipe it clean.’ Who cares what happened when you have an opportunity to fix it this next play or make a better play. If you’re sitting in that, dwelling on that, your mind’s not in the right place to move forward.”
Late in the third quarter, as Brady was outlining how to come back from a significant deficit, he singled out one player the Cowboys should rely on.
“Find CeeDee when it’s one-on-one …” Brady said.
Before he could finish his thought, there was a whistle.
“Another penalty,” Brady said, in an exasperated tone. “Oh my God.”
The play was called dead for a false start on Lamb. In the second half, including penalties and two-point conversion attempts, Lamb was targeted seven times. He finished with one catch for 9 yards, with his demeanor generating more buzz than his play on the field. After the Cowboys’ second failed two-point attempt, which resulted in Prescott throwing high to Rico Dowdle under duress, Brady analyzed Prescott’s options on replay. Lamb ran his route across the back line of the end zone, visibly frustrated after the attempt failed.
“There was nothing there for you, CeeDee,” Brady said on the broadcast.
Dak Prescott completed 28-of-51 passes for 379 yards and two TDs against the Ravens. (Andrew Dieb / Imagn Images)
The story of the Cowboys’ offensive struggles against the Ravens expands beyond Lamb. The running game continues to be a sore spot. There were too many self-inflicted errors. In the final seconds of the first half, Lamb drew a pass interference call that would have given the ball to the Cowboys inside the 5-yard line with 6 seconds left and a couple of timeouts. However, a Tyler Guyton holding penalty on the play negated the pass interference and forced the Cowboys to settle for a 51-yard field goal. Prior to the field goal, the TV broadcast showed a montage of Lamb’s body language, which included what appeared to be some tense words toward Prescott.
There are plenty of things the Cowboys’ offense needs to clean up but Lamb is the lynchpin. He’s the go-to receiver for Prescott and paid handsomely to produce in that role. He mentioned earlier this week that missing all of training camp has affected the way his season has started but — fair or not — the Cowboys don’t have time to wait for Lamb to find his stride. He’s been with Prescott all five years of his NFL career. It’s his second year in McCarthy’s offense, after the first season in which Lamb floated atop the NFL ranks.
After the game, in a question unrelated to Lamb, Prescott said, “As players, we’ve got to be more professional and understand our jobs.” Prescott was asked to expand on his comments about being more “professional.”
“By knowing where you’re supposed to be, knowing your reads, knowing where you’re supposed to line up, knowing your routes, knowing your route adjustments versus certain coverages,” Prescott said. “Every part of what being a professional is. It’s doing your job and being prepared for every part of the job, however it may come.
“Time away from the building to being in the building; just being a pro and understanding that you can get so many practice reps but you can watch the film, you can do all these other things that’ll help make up for it. We just have to be more focused.”
The Cowboys’ defense entered the season with a new coordinator and arguably the biggest position question with the personnel at defensive tackle. The struggles on that side of the ball are not excusable but they are predictable. With that being the case, the Cowboys’ offense needs to pick up the slack to fulfill the age-old mantra of complementary football.
It’ll be hard for them to do that if they get days from Lamb like the one he turned in Sunday.