Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy Had ‘Great Visit’ With CeeDee Lamb After Blowout 49ers Loss
AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
CeeDee Lamb was held in check by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night during their 42-10 shellacking of the Dallas Cowboys, catching just four catches for 49 yards on five targets.
The star wideout didn’t seem thrilled with his role, and head coach Mike McCarthy addressed the situation on Monday.
“I had a great visit with CeeDee today,” he told reporters. “If he’s not pissed off for not getting the ball, then I’m pissed off at him for not being pissed off. He’s an impact player.”
Lamb now has just 12 catches for 138 yards and one score on 18 targets in the last three games. In Week 2 alone against the New York Jets, he had 11 catches for 143 yards on 13 targets. And through five games, he has a solitary touchdown.
Frustrations appear to be simmering, especially with the Cowboys losing two of their past three contests.
Michael Gehlken @GehlkenNFL
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb’s frustration could be felt Sunday on field and sideline. On the offense’s identity: “I don’t know.” On whether he should after five games: “I guess so. I don’t know.” Players process 42-10 loss to 49ers: https://t.co/owAESHhd5K pic.twitter.com/eo94rONUGa
Bobby Belt @BobbyBeltTX
My biggest takeaway from this game is just how frustrated CeeDee Lamb is right now, and I don’t think anyone blames him for that frustration.
Everyone hates losing, but his unhappiness with the team’s play recently is palpable. pic.twitter.com/BhUTS7YJ2O
“We got to be complete,” he told reporters on Sunday. “We can’t go out there one week and look like a super team and then the following week s–t the bed.”
It was the kind of performance that had folks calling into question the Dallas offense on a number of fronts:
Dan Orlovsky @danorlovsky7
Why don’t the Cowboys use/move around Ceedee Lamb like the:
Bengals do Chase
Bills do Stef
Vikings to JJ
Rams do anyoneThey just keep him to stagnant so consistently
Charean Williams @NFLCharean
I hate to keep repeating this, but: The Cowboys screwed up trading Amari Cooper. They have missed him, still miss him and will miss him. https://t.co/gXWqRkclcT
Clarence Hill Jr @clarencehilljr
The biggest mismatch on Sunday was a play caller and offensive game plan. Shanahan dominated his matchup with Mike McCarthy
The Cowboys were so thoroughly dominated by the Niners’ defense on Sunday, they only managed eight first downs, their lowest mark in a game since 2007. Perhaps getting their star receiver more involved would help.
“CeeDee, trust me, nobody wants him to touch the football more than I do,” McCarthy told reporters. “… That’s our responsibility to make sure he has opportunities to make impact plays.”
Lamb, 24, had his best season in 2022, setting career highs in receptions (107), receiving yards (1,359), touchdowns (nine) and targets (156) while earning his second Pro Bowl bid. It was his second straight season exceeding 1,000 receiving yards.
But with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore now calling plays for the Los Angeles Chargers and McCarthy taking over those duties, the Cowboys have been a bit feast-or-famine on the offensive side of the ball. They devoured the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Jets, but were stymied by the Niners and the Arizona Cardinals, of all teams.
Consistent usage for Lamb might lead to a more consistent offensive output, period. McCarthy, at least, seems to understand as much.
