During a crucial fourth down in Dallas, Dak Prescott looked to his standout receiver, CeeDee Lamb, as he sent a pass towards the left sideline on Thursday night.
Lamb had to leap to try and catch it, but the ball slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground, marking what would be Dallas’s last chance in a 24-20 loss to the Eagles.
As Eagles fans erupted in celebration, Lamb sat on the field, holding his head in frustration after missing a critical opportunity in a game that had already featured several dropped passes.
“I’ve seen this story play out before, and it’s never a good ending,” Lamb admitted.
Despite leading all receivers with seven catches for 110 yards, it was clear that he missed some key plays during the game.
There’s some debate around the exact number of dropped passes he had; reports vary, with some sources counting as few as two, while others mention more. Regardless, it highlights a rough start for one of the NFL’s top-paid receivers.
“That’s just rough,” Lamb added. “Honestly, I can’t blame anyone else. I’m taking full responsibility for what happened. I just hope to have another chance to make those plays.”
With the loss of star defensive player Micah Parsons, the Cowboys will need Lamb to step up even more often moving forward.
He played well enough to keep Dallas competitive that night, but those missed opportunities certainly stung.
According to ESPN, Lamb’s first drop occurred in the second quarter, which could have helped settle the team into a better position but resulted in only a field goal on that drive.
However, the most glaring drop came in the fourth quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, with the Eagles in the lead, Lamb failed to catch a pass on a third-and-10, squandering a chance to advance within Philadelphia’s territory.
Later on, with just under three minutes left, he got behind a defender and had a good chance for a catch but failed to bring it in, handing away what could have been a 25-yard gain.
Some analysts, like former ESPN reporter Ed Werder, have pointed out that the fourth drop wasn’t a typical drop—requiring a bit more effort. However, star receivers are often expected to make those catches.
If Lamb had made that catch, Dallas would have been in prime territory, around the 25-yard line, with about a minute and fifty seconds remaining.
“It’s moments like that that really hurt,” Lamb reflected. “But it’s just the first game. I’ll be back stronger.”
Lamb didn’t take part in preseason games, but he quickly dismissed it as a reason for his performance. “No, that doesn’t play into it. You’ve just got to catch the ball,” he said.
Prescott commended Lamb for taking accountability, but the Cowboys’ coach, Brian Schottenheimer, expressed confidence in his star receiver’s abilities.
Lamb will look to bounce back in the upcoming game against the Giants.
“I’m not worried about CeeDee. He’s going to be just fine. We’re a team, and this is a team loss,” Schottenheimer remarked.
