Standing on the sidelines in the final seconds, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb kept tapping his chest, the universal sports sign for “That’s on me.”
No place to hide from it, so you may as well wear it.
If the Cowboys have any prayer to be what their delusional owner believes is inevitable, their highest-paid players have to be their best performers. They don’t always have to be the reason they win, but they can’t be the reason they don’t.
On Thursday night in the NFL regular-season opener, the Dallas Cowboys had the defending Super Bowl champion in the perfect spot. With Micah Parsons in Green Bay, the Cowboys were in a position to upset the Eagles.
Following a little lightning, and a 64-minute delay, their defense continually came up with stops and handed the ball to the strength of this team, the place where all of the money and resources went.
Rather than come up with a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys’ offense was instead shut out in the second half in a 24-20 loss. The Eagles’ field goal in the third quarter was the only scoring play of the second half.
The Cowboys were literally within spitting distance of beating the Eagles in Philly.
Games Cowboys have to have
When the season ultimately ends, or when there is talk of playoffs, this is one of those nights the Cowboys will look back on and curse themselves for not winning. These are the types of games a borderline playoff team like the Cowboys have to win.
Lamb’s seven catches for 110 yards look good, and will appease some fantasy football owners. He should have had so much more. He was targeted 13 times.
This was a win that literally went through Lamb’s fingers.
As one of the best, and highest-paid, wide receivers in the game, that can’t happen. Maybe a drop. Not two. A third is a Netflix documentary.
There may be a fourth drop to his credit. He had seven drops in 2024.
“That’s terrible. I can’t point fingers at nobody else,” Lamb said in the Cowboys’ locker room to reporters after the game. “I take full accountability. I prayed for moments like that. I need to catch the damn ball.”
Not going to find a lot of argument anywhere, including the Lamb household.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys faced a third-and-10, and quarterback Dak Prescott’s pass was on target for Lamb and a first down. Drop. Through his hands. Off his facemask.
Down four with three minutes remaining, the Cowboys began their potential game-winning drive at their own 18-yard line.
Twice in this possession Lamb dropped deep balls that would have changed the game; the first would have put the Cowboys’ inside the Philadelphia 25-yard line. Drop.
Prescott then hit Lamb in the hands on a fourth-down pass that was a perfect read-and-throw against the Eagles’ defense. Rather than motor on toward the end zone to take the lead, it was the Cowboys’ final offensive play of the game.
A missed — or dropped — opportunity
Like any loss, one player’s performance is not the only reason for the defeat. Running back Miles Sanders’ third-quarter fumble at the Philadelphia 10-yard line took points off the board.
The defense was awful in the first half.
There were quality chances for more, and Lamb’s performance highlighted what was not a missed but rather a dropped opportunity.
The Cowboys made him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. For this team to have a chance to be successful, he has to play like it.
He didn’t on Thursday night, and the Cowboys took a loss that could have been a win.