CeeDee Lamb Assumes Cowboys' Defeat: "I Gotta Catch the Ball"

CeeDee Lamb Takes Responsibility After Cowboys’ Loss to Eagles

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb took responsibility for the 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener, played at Lincoln Financial Field.

“Man, that’s terrible,” Lamb stated in the locker room. “Honestly, I feel like I can’t point the finger at anyone else.”
CeeDee Lamb

Lamb had three passes that he failed to catch, including two in the final quarter, which prevented the Cowboys from mounting a comeback on the night the Eagles celebrated their Super Bowl championship from last season. During training camp, Lamb, who had seven uncatched passes the previous year, had expressed that one of his goals for 2025 was to complete the season without any drops. The first missed pass by Lamb came in the second quarter, preventing the Cowboys from scoring a touchdown on three consecutive possessions at the start of the game, forcing them to settle for a field goal by Brandon Aubrey.

“It wasn’t just those plays,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “There are throws I’d like to have back. But it’s the first game, and he’s a player who makes those plays. He’s going to make those plays. I’m not going to get discouraged. I’m not going to lose confidence in any way. And he’ll make those plays.”
Dak Prescott

Prescott didn’t hesitate to look for Lamb, who was the main target with 13 passes directed at him. And when the game was on the line, Prescott looked for him. With 2:40 to play, Lamb had his most crucial, third, uncatched pass when the Cowboys were looking to score to take the lead. Prescott perfectly placed a deep pass in Lamb’s trajectory, but the ball bounced off his hands, leaving Lamb in a state of shock. This was his first time with three missed passes since week 13 of last year against the New York Giants. Had that reception been completed, the Cowboys would have had the ball inside the Eagles’ 20-yard line and would not have been stopped in the red zone on their two first-half attempts.

“I take full responsibility and everything that comes with it,” Lamb said. “As for me as a player, I’ve prayed for moments like that and for the ball to come to me, and to not catch it, that hurts a little.”
CeeDee Lamb

After a defensive stop, the Cowboys faced fourth-and-3 from their 45-yard line after the two-minute warning. Lining up in the slot, Lamb gained an advantage over Cooper DeJean on a deep throw that fell out of his reach as he dove. Although it wasn’t an uncatchable pass, it’s a reception that Lamb, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and in the second year of an extension averaging $34 million per season, expects to make.

“I’m not worried about CeeDee Lamb,” said coach Brian Schottenheimer. “CeeDee will be fine. A great player. Again, this was a team loss, and we own that.”
Brian Schottenheimer

Lamb finished with seven receptions for a total of 110 yards, the most in the game. This was his twenty-second career game with at least 100 receiving yards, tying Hall of Famer Bob Hayes for third in franchise history. Only Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (47) and Tony Hill (26) have more in team history as receivers. It was his third 100-yard game of his career against the Eagles. However, it was the three uncatched passes that worried Lamb the most, and he wasn’t going to use the lack of preseason action as a factor.