'A Better CeeDee': No More 'Mistakes By Rookie'
FRISCO - The level of trust the Dallas Cowboys have in rookie CeeDee Lamb is evident. The mental maturity of Lamb is unmistakeable. The former Oklahoma star's physical potential is indisputable.
Will the rookie learn and grow vs. the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday at 12 p.m. in his AT&T Stadium debut?
One yard was the difference-maker in wide receiver Lamb's NFL debut. Trailing 20-17 to the Los Angeles Rams, the Cowboys drove 56 yards in nine plays... fans gathered around the TV and held their breath as Dallas went for it on fourth-and-3 instead of kicking a would-be game tying field goal.
The promising drive ended short. Quarterback Dak Prescott passed to a crossing Lamb, who snatched the hurried pass but was short of the first-down marker. Rams safety Jordan Fuller brought down the rookie one yard shy of the goal.
Ultimately, the Cowboys could not overcome mistakes, conservatism, and bad luck in a 20-17 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles.
"At first, I was at the sticks,'' Lamb said in describing the play. "Then I came back for the ball. I got tackled and obviously, I didn’t get the first down and make the conversion.
"That’s one of the plays I wish I had back. But ... you live, and you learn. It’s not really a 'rookie mistake', but it’s definitely a 'mistake from a rookie.'
"I feel like that’s a play that I could have done a lot better. Like I said, I’m going to practice week and you’ll definitely get a better CeeDee.”
The fact is, the rookie ran his route a tad short. But going forward? We wouldn't bet against Lamb. Lamb played 57 plays in Week One, tied for the most by a rookie. His first-career catch went for 33 yards, the longest completion in the game for Prescott. Lamb finished with five receptions for 59 yards on six targets with a team-high 20-yard punt return.
“Honestly, I’m not really too pleased with myself nor my performance," Lamb said. "I feel like there’s a lot more that I left on the table. There’s a lot of things that I could have had better decision making. I could have played a lot faster. I could have done a lot of things better. I could have been a better option and a better target for Dak.”
Atlanta struggled to limit the speed and big plays of Seahawks pass-catchers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett last Sunday. The Falcons will absolutely have their hands full with a motivated Lamb (not to mention Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup) to leave nothing on the table.
