The Dallas Cowboys might’ve come out of Week 1 with a win if not for CeeDee Lamb.
That feels odd to say, but the All-Pro wideout dropped multiple passes on Dallas’ final offensive drive, despite Dak Prescott’s best efforts. Lamb’s performance was dissected on ESPN’s Get Up, where Peter Schrager defended Lamb by comparing his stats favorably to A.J. Brown’s one catch for eight yards. Ryan Clark wasn’t having it, telling Schrager, “that’s the non-player in you,” and pointing out that Brown’s team was 1-0.
The uncomfortable exchange highlighted the divide over how to judge Lamb’s night. It also became a point of contention on Sunday NFL Countdown, where Randy Moss had some pointed words for the Cowboys star.
“If there’s one thing that really stands out to me, and we talk about CeeDee Lamb, you’re the third-highest paid wide receiver in all of football,” Moss said. “And then, when it’s crunch time, you don’t show up for your team. Yeah, I get that. We do miss some passes sometimes as wide receivers, but you’re on the road in a divisional game against the defending champs… We always praise Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb when things go well, but when they’re bad, they’re bad. CeeDee Lamb, I need better effort out of him going forward.”
Randy Moss on ESPN’s ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’: “CeeDee Lamb, I need better effort out of him going forward.” 🏈📺🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/jUYeRjxQkd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 7, 2025
Moss had a point. Lamb dropped three passes against the Eagles, including two in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys were trying to pull off the upset. The most crushing came with two minutes and 40 seconds left when Prescott placed a perfect deep ball in Lamb’s hands that would have put Dallas inside the Eagles’ 20-yard line.
“That’s terrible,” Lamb said after the game. “Honestly, I feel like I can’t point no finger at anybody else.”
Lamb finished with seven catches for 110 yards, but it was the three that got away that defined his night. The $34 million per year receiver had set a goal during training camp to go through the entire season without a drop after having seven drops in 2024.
“I take full accountability and everything that’s going to come with it,” Lamb said. “As for me as a player, I’ve prayed for moments like that and for the ball to come my way, and for me not to come up with it, that stings a little bit.”
Moss calling out Lamb adds another voice to the growing criticism the Cowboys receiver has faced. Troy Aikman criticized Lamb’s route running last season, saying the routes were “terrible” and that Lamb was “lazy coming off the line of scrimmage.”
Lamb handled Aikman’s criticism maturely, calling it “constructive criticism” and saying he would use it as motivation. But Moss’s comments hit differently because they came after a specific performance where Lamb failed in crunch time.
Prescott defended his receiver after the game, saying he wouldn’t lose confidence in Lamb and that he’s “a guy that makes those plays.” But even Prescott’s support couldn’t hide the reality that Lamb’s drops likely cost Dallas a statement win.
“I need to catch the damn ball,” Lamb said, perhaps the most honest assessment of the night.
Moss’s criticism is hard to argue with. When you’re the third-highest paid receiver in the NFL, dropping perfectly thrown balls in the fourth quarter of a division game is exactly when you’re supposed to show up.