Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

One thing Cowboys must do to reignite hapless passing offense

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 10/9/23

Something that could solve the Cowboys' offensive issues is getting star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb more involved. So, why haven't they done that?

"CeeDee Lamb has been held under 55 yards in the last three games," wrote Pro Football Focus contributor Marcus Mosher on X, formerly known as Twitter. "[Head coach] Mike McCarthy has not done a good job of getting him in rhythm at all."

#Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb has been held under 55 yards in the last three games.

Mike McCarthy has not done a good job of getting him in a rhythm at all.
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 9, 2023

Lamb's numbers aren't awful, but they should be better after he made a second consecutive Pro Bowl last season. Through five contests, he's tallied 27 receptions on 35 targets for 358 yards and one TD. Also, he's only had one game with double-digit targets.

In a 42-10 loss to the 49ers on Sunday, Lamb caught four receptions for 49 yards on five targets, and the team recorded a paltry 197 total yards. After the loss, his frustration was evident.

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
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) October 9, 2023

"I don't know," Lamb said of the team's offensive identity in a postgame news conference. "They beat us. They did all they needed to do. They performed well. Tip my hat off to them."

The Cowboys offense is efficient, as it ranks eighth in the NFL in points scored (133), but it doesn't generate big plays in the passing game. Dallas is 21st in the league in passing yards (1,015).

The weakness will stymie the Cowboys (3-2) against elite opponents. In the blowout loss to San Francisco (5-0), Dallas averaged a meager 4.7 yards per pass.

Nonetheless, there is a solution to the problem: throw the ball to Lamb more. Even though his numbers are down, he's still an explosive playmaker, who's tied for the eighth in the NFL in receiving plays (eight) of 20 yards or more.

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