FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are a short week away from Thursday night’s game against the New York Giants, but there’s been a lot to unpack over the past few days with back-to-back losses.
All-Pro Receiver CeeDee Lamb did not speak to reporters after Sunday’s home loss to the Baltimore Ravens, a game in which he lost a fumble and dropped a pass and had what appeared to be a spat with the quarterback. Dak Prescott.
On Tuesday, he apologized for his performance and the way he behaved on the bench, saying he played “a big role” in Sunday’s defeat. He also acknowledged that his body language and attitude “did not help the situation or the outcome of the game.”
“I’m just a professional in this situation. I understand it’s a long game,” said Lamb, who had four receptions for 67 yards against the Ravens. “But as far as me and my performance, I expect a lot from myself, more than anyone could ask of me. And, quite honestly, I failed. And obviously, I failed the team in terms of my production and being a key player for the team and, obviously, the guy they can count on.
“And yeah, I let the game go to my head a little bit. But in the same sense, I know what I can do. I know what I bring to the table and I know what I can do on that field. So, that being said, going forward, there will be a difference.”
Lamb didn’t bank on Sunday’s effort to miss training camp because of a pending contract.
“There’s no excuse for that,” he said. “I’ve played football my whole life. I know that’s not the case.”
As for Prescott, he said his relationship with Lamb is as good as it’s ever been. Prescott, however, did not speak to the media Tuesday, which may be a first since he became a starter.
“Our relationship, if anything, [has] “He’s gotten stronger,” Lamb said. “Don’t let what’s going on fool you. We’re brothers through and through. We know we’ve got everything we’ve got, and I take my hat off to him. I have the utmost respect for him, and I consider him a brother. So, with that being said, it’s all going to come out: the energy, the passion, the love, the fight. You’re going to make up in the end.”
Last year, against the San Francisco 49ers, Lamb sat quietly during a 42-10 loss. After that, he had seven games with 100-plus yards receiving and six games with at least 11 receptions, en route to team records in the final 11 games.
“I intend to do it again,” Lamb said.
Defensively, the Cowboys plan not to let the Giants run all over them, as the New Orleans Saints (190 yards) and Ravens (274 yards) did in the last two games.
Asked if the defense got the message to play fundamentally sound, All-Pro edge player Micah Parsons “I mean, everyone says it, but again, we have to see what happens.”
“As a competitor, I think at some point you have to be proud enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to let this happen to me,’” Parsons said. “I feel like some people just let it hit them in the face. When are you going to get up?”
With a 1-2 record, the Cowboys already appear to be at a key turning point in their season.
“I’d rather take a hit on the head right now, because when you fail, what do you do?” Parsons said. “You’ve got to get back up, and I think that’s going to create a great environment in the locker room, a great team environment, right?”
“[If] “We fail, we fail. Okay. We know what that feels like. We can only go up. We can only go up from here, right? So when I say we’re down, where do you start from when you’re down? We climb, but you have to be willing to climb.”
