Jerry Jones expects more from Lamb: 'You got to catch balls covered'
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to see more from star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who was limited to two catches and 29 yards in the 19-3 season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"You got to play through being covered. You got to catch balls covered," Jones said Friday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "You say, 'Well, that's a trite thing to say,' but you can't - just because they doubled you up - not make some plays."
Lamb also voiced frustration over his performance against the Buccaneers but said it was hard to face Tampa Bay without having other high-profile receivers like Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup on the field with him.
"Having three No. 1s out there, it makes a difference," Lamb said, according to Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News. "You got Coop on the outside, killing. You got MG in the slot, killing. And I'm killing it in the slot. It puts people in a funk. Now, when you have just me right now, it's easy."
Lamb became the Cowboys' clear No. 1 wideout after the team traded four-time Pro Bowler Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. The club also lost Cedrick Wilson to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
Cooper and Gallup each topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2019, the year before Dallas drafted Lamb in the first round.
Gallup didn't play in Week 1 as he rehabs from a torn ACL. Head coach Mike McCarthy ruled him out for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Machota.
Lamb added: "Throughout the game, I was so pissed. Like, 'What is going on?' I had to have a flashback: 'Yeah, you're going to get all the attention now. This is what they were talking about.'"
Wide receiver Noah Brown and tight end Dalton Schultz posted team highs with 68 receiving yards and seven catches against the Bucs, respectively.
Lamb, who received 11 targets in Week 1, led the Cowboys in targets (120) and receiving yards (1,102) last year, while Cooper topped the team with eight touchdown catches to go along with 104 targets.
Lamb expects tough matchups against opposing defenses all year.
"When I'm on the outside, they're going to have someone buzz under me, and they're going to have a corner on top of me," Lamb said. "It's going to be hard for me to get the ball. When I'm in the slot, they're going to have someone touch me, regardless, to try to slow me down. It's a lot. ... I've got to control my emotions."
The Cowboys' offense took a big hit after losing quarterback Dak Prescott to a hand injury. Cooper Rush will start under center versus the Bengals.
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