Simply glancing at the box score from the Dallas Cowboys' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles would make it seem like wideout CeeDee Lamb had an incredible night. Despite quarterback Dak Prescott passing for only 188 yards, Lamb finished his night with 110 receiving yards on seven catches. However, the story of the game isn't the catches Lamb made but the multiple drops from a typically reliable target.
Two of the balls were absolutely perfect throws from Prescott that Lamb just dropped. The third was a play Lamb is capable of making, but required the pass-catcher to lay out to get his hands on the ball.
Still, the Cowboys' best playmaker let the team down in the game's biggest moments. One deep ball clanked off of Lamb's hands while another bounced off his facemask. It was shocking to see the star playmaker fail to make what are typically routine catches for the star. Even the failed diving play is one he typically catches, especially when a game is on the line.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Fails Dallas in Week 1's Biggest Moments
Cowboys fans have seen too much from Lamb to believe this game is anything other than an outlier. There is no denying the failure or the fact that it cost the Cowboys a chance to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. Lamb picked the worst possible moment to fail to make the typical plays.
Lamb is being paid as one of the league's elite non-quarterbacks, and with this comes a level of responsibility. Prescott did everything in his power to give the Cowboys the win, including goading Philadelphia's best defender into an early ejection. Add in the impressive throws to Lamb late in the game's second half, and it is easy to make the argument that America's Team should've upset the heavily favored Eagles.
Lamb's disappointing night overshadowed a strong performance from Dallas' defense, which included limiting Philadelphia WRs A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to a combined four catches and 24 yards on the night. Even without Micah Parsons, the Cowboys' defense found a way to settle in, and it would've been nice to see their effort rewarded with a win.
Lamb's drops ended these hopes, putting pressure on Dallas to turn things around against the New York Giants in Week 2. Cowboys fans can only hope that this failure serves as motivation for one of the NFL's most talented stars. The fan base knows Lamb is better than he showed, so now it's time for him to prove it.