The story of CeeDee Lamb and his black sheep quarterbacks

A look at Dallas Cowboys rookie wideout CeeDee Lamb with and without Dak Prescott.

To say that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s statistical resume has hit a snag would be a bit of an understatement. Early in the season, the part of it in which he was paired up with quarterback Dak Prescott, he was the standard bearer among rookies. Since Week 6, his numbers have been outclassed by Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, leaving some to forget just how good he can be.

Transitioning to the NFL is no easy feat, and while Lamb made it look effortless to start off his career, it turns out the situation a player lands in is nearly as important as the talent they bring to the table. Through five games, the Oklahoma product was tearing through the league. He was on pace for 93 catches, 1386 yards and six touchdowns. And while his production has slowed, the Cowboys Pro Football Focus Twitter account wants people to know how good he’s been from the slot this year in the aggregate.

That is all well and good of course, but the current trend is alarming. Lamb’s first five games accounted for 123 more yards than he’s had in the eight played since. His yards per catch has been cut off at the legs, making him seem like a plodding and pedestrian possession receiver, averaging just a yard more per reception than Jason Witten did in Dallas last year.

The problem is obvious: the quarterback play. Lamb is now stuck playing with players willing to check down at a moment’s notice instead of letting the play develop. The coaching staff is attempting to get him the ball, but it’s often on screen passes that are immediately snuffed out. He’s also not without fault, dropping six passes on the season according to Pro Football Reference, including a Hail Mary at the end of a half, which would have been spectacular, but counts against him nonetheless.

There’s still three games to rebound, though the offensive performances even with Andy Dalton under center have been largely underwhelming. Luckily for all involved, a career is not written in a year, and assuming that the Cowboys brass gets its stuff together and finally gets a deal for Prescott in place, there’s no limit to the kind of career Lamb can put together.