CeeDee Lamb tapped on his chest after the Dallas Cowboys knew for sure they weren't going to leave Philadelphia with a win over the defending champs on opening night in the NFL, as if the star receiver were saying, “This is on me.”
Three critical drops by Lamb, and another throw from Dak Prescott that slipped through his arms on a diving attempt on Dallas' final offensive play, had plenty to do with the 24-20 loss to the Eagles in a game that ended early Friday morning, a week after the Cowboys traded star edge rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay.
Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter's ejection for spitting on Prescott before the first snap probably gave the Cowboys a better chance to pull off the upset. They might have done it with any one of three catches Lamb should have made.
The one that hurt Dallas the most came on Prescott's perfect throw on a deep post route that would have gained about 50 yards with less than three minutes remaining.
“That’s terrible,” Lamb said. “I can’t point fingers at nobody else. I take full accountability. As a player, I pray for moments like that, for the ball to come my way. For me not to come up with it, that stings a little bit.”
The Cowboys paid Lamb last summer, giving him a $136 million, four-year contract. They hinted for months that paying Prescott, who got the first $60 million annual average in the NFL before last season's opener, along with Lamb and Parsons wouldn't be easy.
Clearly, it was doable, given that owner Jerry Jones thought he had a deal last spring that would have made Parsons the first defensive player to earn more than $40 million annually.
Instead, negotiations never went anywhere, and the Cowboys thought two first-round draft picks and run-stopping defensive tackle Kenny Clark were enough to move on from a generational pass rusher in his prime.
Dallas didn't get much pressure on Jalen Hurts without blitzing the reigning Super Bowl MVP, and then one of the guys the Cowboys chose to pay let them down when it mattered most.
“Don’t worry about CeeDee Lamb,” Brian Schottenheimer said after losing his debut as a head coach following a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. “CeeDee’s going to be fine. This was a team defeat, and we own that.”
Other than one of his drops, Lamb was spectacular in the first half with four catches for 86 yards. The 2023 All-Pro finished with 110 yards on seven grabs while counterparts DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown combined for just 24 yards.
“There wasn’t a big long talk that needed to be had as he took ownership and accountability, right, to you guys,” Prescott said. “He shut me up in the same sense of taking accountability. It wasn’t just those plays. There’s throws out there that I want back.”
What's working
Prescott played great in his first game since the torn hamstring that sidelined him for the final nine games last season. The first two drives ended on short scoring runs from newcomer Javonte Williams — Dallas had just six rushing TDs all last season — and he and Schottenheimer managed the clock masterfully in the final minute of the first half to get a 53-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey as time expired.
What needs help
The first half was a glaring illustration of how bad the defense might be without Parsons. The Cowboys already knew the analytics indicated as much. The Cowboys were terrible with their rush lanes, and Hurts had two rushing touchdowns to show for it. Dallas was much better after halftime, but that's not much consolation at the moment.
Stock up
DE Marshawn Kneeland showed promise last year before a knee injury derailed his rookie season. The 2024 second-round pick had Dallas' only sack, the first of his career.
Stock down
The future of DT Mazi Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, grew murkier with his healthy scratch, particularly considering how desperate the Cowboys are to stop the run. The addition of Clark wasn't a good sign for the disappointing former Michigan standout.
Injuries
It was mildly surprising that cornerback Trevon Diggs and left tackle Tyler Guyton played. Diggs was expected back by Week 4, but not for the opener, after an offseason of rehabbing a second major knee injury. The 2021 All-Pro played slightly less than half the snaps. Guyton played the entire game after injuring a knee early in training camp.
Key number
500 — Lamb became the fastest Dallas receiver to reach 500 catches and now has 503. The 26-year-old is the second-youngest in NFL history to 500 catches behind 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald. Lamb is in his sixth season.
Next steps
Prescott has 13 consecutive wins against the New York Giants, the next opponent on Sept. 14, since losing his first two starts against them as a rookie. Dallas had an 11-game winning streak between those defeats in 2016.
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