Dez Bryant sends the Cowboys a message they need to hear
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is visibly not happy with what's going on with the offense. That much was clear during the team's loss to the San Francisco 49ers when he was fuming on the sidelines, oftentimes standing away from the team. He didn't bother hiding it after the game, either, claiming he "didn't […]
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is visibly not happy with what's going on with the offense.
That much was clear during the team's loss to the San Francisco 49ers when he was fuming on the sidelines, oftentimes standing away from the team. He didn't bother hiding it after the game, either, claiming he "didn't know" what the Cowboys' offensive identity was.
"If he’s not pissed off for not getting the ball, then I’m pissed off at him for not being pissed off," head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday.
McCarthy's mindset is what Cowboys fans want to hear. What they want to see is him doing something about it. Finding a way for Lamb to be force-fed like the top wide receivers of the NFL are.
Against the 49ers, Lamb was targeted five times, the same as Michael Gallup and Tony Pollard. With all due respect to the latter two, that simply shouldn't be the case when the offense is struggling to even move the chains. It's a league where the Xs and Os pale in comparison to the Jimmys and Joes.
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, one of the few No. 88 club members, sent a message to the team through Twitter/X making a case for CeeDee to get more touches:
A simple yet powerful argument, if you ask me. Why give CeeDee the iconic WR1 number of the franchise, especially when you have a tradition centering around the jersey, only to not treat him as a WR1?
Just look at the Cincinnati Bengals. Entering Week 5, they were dealing with many offensive woes themselves as they continued to navigate Joe Burrow's calf injury. What was their answer? Feed Ja'Marr Chase. Do it again. And then some more. The route charts below tell the whole story.
Chase ran outs, wheels, slants, crossers, and a perfectly drawn-up post route for 192 yards. Over 60% of Burrow's 317 passing yards went to Chase! Meanwhile, Lamb struggled to get quarterback Dak Prescott to look his way because he wasn't even the first read in way too many reps.
McCarthy managed to get the ball thrown to CeeDee often in Week 3 while the New York Jets played a lot of zone coverage. But with the 49ers being a little bit more aggressive than that, the Cowboys found no answers.
Chase's big Week 5 game was sparked by firey comments when he said "I'm always f***ing open." Perhaps Lamb's visible discontent gets him more looks on Monday Night Football.
Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb’s postgame message is indicative of a major problem
Drama is brewing in Dallas.
