Cowboys: CeeDee Lamb's recent usage could be the secret sauce for a Super Bowl
CeeDee Lamb was on fire when the Dallas Cowboys faced the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday. But his performance is promising news for fans beyond Week 8. It could be seen as a sign that head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have found the secret sauce to boost the offense to the […]
CeeDee Lamb was on fire when the Dallas Cowboys faced the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday. But his performance is promising news for fans beyond Week 8.
It could be seen as a sign that head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have found the secret sauce to boost the offense to the next level. And if they've figured that out, grab on to your things because we're thinking Super Bowl-caliber squad, especially considering his growing chemistry with Dak Prescott.
Before we dive into why Lamb being used as a WR1 could be the key to achieving what has eluded Dallas for almost three decades now, let's look at what was different on Sunday.
CeeDee Lamb is playing outside a lot more
Although Lamb still played most of his snaps in the slot (It was a 60-40 split, per PFF), the tape leaves no doubt: CeeDee is looking like a monster on the outside. Even better than that, the Cowboys are finding ways to get him the football in those situations, using more motion, bunch, and trips formations than ever before.
Specifically, the Cowboys are giving Lamb some looks as the X receiver. That means the outside receiver who is away from the passing strength of the formation. While these snaps usually belonged to Michael Gallup, the Cowboys are getting Lamb in there, which helped get him some favorable matchups on Sunday.
In the tweet above, you can find diagrams of every play in which Lamb had a catch versus the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. You can argue that Lamb is away from the passing strength of the formation in seven of the 12 snaps (!!!). Why is that important?
Take his first touchdown of the game, for example (fifth diagram above). Lamb is isolated to the left side of the offense with the Cowboys lining up in trips away from him. That messes with the defensive structure enough to get CeeDee a one-on-one near the endzone essentially.
Dak Prescott draws the backside safety (who's to Lamb's side) to the right with his eyes before turning to the left and connecting with his WR1 on the post route for six points. It's not that the Rams chose to leave Lamb one-on-one, it's that the Cowboys forced them to.
Later in the second quarter, the Cowboys used a similar formation to get Lamb a one-on-one look on third at long from their 34-yard line. Usually, working from the slot can mean easier touches for the wide receiver. But Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer did a tremendous job getting Lamb one-on-one looks by letting him work on the weak side of the formation often. Combining that with trips and 3×1 looks only helps.
Cowboys helped Lamb with motion more than once
The Cowboys also used motion at a higher rate than usual in this game. In three catches from Lamb, that came in the form of tight end Jake Ferguson running a motion to become the first player from the outside in, manipulating the defense's coverage at the snap (seventh diagram in the tweet above).
Late in the second quarter, for example, that caused the cornerback to abandon Lamb, with the free safety being matched up against him. With CeeDee running a slant, the safety had no shot. Combined with a trips look to the opposite side of the field, there's no one near to help, either.
These tactics help Lamb get better matchups and manipulate the opponents' leverage at the last second. It gives him more room to work with.
CeeDee Lamb: The Cowboys' path to a sixth Super Bowl win?
The Cowboys have gotten fans' hopes up far too many times before only to crush them days later, so I understand you might believe this to be an overreaction. How can a good Week 8 game against a Rams team be the sign of a Super Bowl?
But I've consistently thought what could hold Dallas back was McCarthy's insistence on quick game and static offense. In their most recent win, they seemed to be willing to make some massive adjustments.
If they unlock their offense by getting their top-tier wideout easy looks as they did in Week 8, the sky is the ceiling for this group.
Cowboys: Dak Prescott explains where success with CeeDee Lamb comes from
They’re playing at a very high level.
