Everyone has an opinion on what the Cowboys should have done Sunday against the 49ers. An after-the-fact gameplan from your cousin Carl who almost made it to state one year and still watches, like, all the games is one thing. When the armchair quarterback in question has three Super Bowl rings and a bronze bust in Canton, though, it’s probably worth paying attention to.
Hall of Famer Troy Aikman had some things to say during a radio interview with Dallas radio station KTCK The Ticket 1310 AM/96.7 FM on Wednesday. In a nutshell, the former Cowboys signal-caller believes the current squad may have simply tried to get too cute when it mattered the most, all but abandoning one of their top playmakers.
“CeeDee Lamb, what did he have? One catch in the game?” Aikman asked.
Here’s a look at the second-year receiver’s day, quarter by quarter:
| 1Q | 32-yard reception wiped out by penalty |
| 2Q | 5-yard rush |
| 3Q | 0 catches (3 targets) |
| 18-yard reception wiped out by penalty | |
| 4Q | 10-yard reception |
| 0 catches (1 target) | |
| 11 yards after Cedrick Wilson lateral |
A single recorded catch. Twenty-one yards, 11 of them tacked on to the end of one of someone else’s grabs. It was the only game Lamb played in all season where he didn’t finish with multiple receptions.
One of the most electrifying players in the league was almost completely shut down… but it was by his own offense.
“There was a lot of single coverage on CeeDee Lamb,” Aikman continued. “If it was back when I was playing — and I hate going back to that point because nobody cares — but what I see around the league… a lot of these offenses, they want to scheme things. The coordinators, it’s all about scheme rather than this corner is playing soft, he’s scared to death. Just run the route tree. Just run a comeback. Run a dig route. Run a curl. Run anything. And you’re going to complete the pass whenever you want, and [Michael] Irvin would have had 10 catches at halftime if they played us the way that they played CeeDee Lamb in that game. So, I just don’t quite understand that.”
The three-time Super Bowl champ and current FOX analyst went on to say that he was talking about the trend with Peyton Manning at John Madden’s memorial service on Tuesday.
“He agreed,” Aikman shared. “The game is not that difficult. If I’ve got a great player at wide receiver, and a corner is playing him single-coverage, throw him the ball. He’s going to win most of the time.”
By ignoring their bread and butter and trying to throw the kitchen sink at San Francisco instead, the Cowboys were sent home unsatisfied once again, still starving when it comes to deep postseason success.
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