CeeDee Lamb’s season has started off in an unusual fashion. Following his record-breaking 2023, many expected him to continue dominating, but he has yet to notch a 100-yard game. While he’s receiving plenty of targets, his standout performances have only appeared in brief moments across the first five weeks.
The trend continued during the Dallas Cowboys’ narrow win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. Dak Prescott had an uncharacteristically rough game, with three turnovers, and Lamb managed just five catches on nine targets for 62 yards.
Lamb’s slow start has been compounded by visible frustration, including a sideline outburst aimed at Prescott during their Week 3 loss to the Ravens. During Sunday night’s game, many viewers thought Lamb had a similar outburst when cameras caught him yelling at Prescott after a red zone interception. While NBC announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth seemed to reinforce this narrative, a closer look revealed that Lamb was likely giving Prescott constructive feedback.
Cowboys fans owe CeeDee Lamb an apology over sideline spat with Dak Prescott on SNF
The lip-reading offers a very different perspective. Initially, it seemed like Lamb was scolding Prescott for the turnover, especially since Prescott ignored Lamb and focused on reviewing the play on the sideline tablets.
The television broadcast skewed reality just a tad & after further review it seems that Ceedee Lamb after Dak’s INT said:
“Jump balls 4, jump balls I got you” 👌🏼 https://t.co/3aF5DNpbYI
— Landon Holifield ✭ (@TheLandoShow) October 7, 2024
Lamb’s point to Prescott actually makes sense. Prescott, expecting Lamb to adjust for the back-shoulder pass, left the throw five yards short, while Lamb sprinted toward the end zone. Though Lamb didn’t run the best route, it looked like he expected a jump ball from his QB.
Earlier, Lamb made an incredible toe-dragging sideline catch in the first quarter. While not a jump ball, he caught it in traffic, and Prescott placed the ball perfectly into a tight window – his best throw of the night.
Lamb might have expected a similar throw on the turnover. Whatever the case, Lamb just wants Prescott to give him a chance in those situations.
Lamb excels against single coverage and rarely faces contested catches, but when he does, he usually comes out on top. In this instance, Prescott simply didn’t give him the opportunity.
Though it’s unclear if Lamb specifically asked for a jump ball, his body language was anything but negative during the game. He seemed focused, even delivering a great double block on Jake Ferguson’s big catch-and-run, and fought for extra yards after his own catches.
The NBC broadcast may have fueled the “Lamb vs. Prescott” narrative, but it seems the situation was exaggerated. Lamb wasn’t trying to cause issues with his QB.
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