It is no secret that the Dallas Cowboys offense looks as bad as they ever have right now. With Dak Prescott out and a depleted roster overall, the Cowboys will look to All-Pro Wide Receiver, CeeDee Lamb, to carry the load against the Texans in Week 11.
Last week’s bout with the Philadelphia Eagles was the first full game they played without Prescott, and let’s just say Cooper Rush and Trey Lance did not dominate.
Dallas scored just six points, while Rush and Lance threw for 45 and 21 yards respectively. In total, the Cowboys passing offense put up 2.3 yards per attempt. That is unbelievably low for an NFL offense.
Fewest passing yards in a game with 13+ completions in NFL history
1. Cooper Rush – 45 vs. 2024 PHI
2. Steve McNair – 63 vs. 2007 PIT
3. Pat Haden – 64 vs. 1979 TB— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) November 12, 2024
To put it into perspective, Prescott’s lowest yards per completion this season was 5.4, and in that game, he only threw for 178 passing yards.
In Week 11, the Cowboys’ backup quarterbacks aren’t going to magically blow these stats away on their own, but they can make significant improvements if they focus on one thing: putting the football in Lamb’s hands.
Let’s talk about the advantages, and the challenges, that come with making Lamb the offensive game plan against a tough Texans defense.
CeeDee Lamb: Why He Can Save The Offense
Right before this season kicked off, the Cowboys gave CeeDee Lamb a $136M extension. When they did that, I’m sure they weren’t planning on him needing to save the offense by Week 11, but considering the size of his check, it’s not an unreasonable ask.
Lamb, 25, is one of the most talented players in the entire NFL, but he has had a bit of a rocky season to this point.
We’ve all seen the sideline shots, the occasional controversy over whether he and Prescott are on the same page, and yes, at times, his performance and effort haven’t been up to his normal standard.
He has fallen under his 2021, 2022, and 2023 yards per game averages in over half of the 2024 games to this point.
The Cowboys’ offense as a whole has been struggling, and there is only so much you can do when the quarterback play is terrible and the sun is in your eyes, but we can agree Lamb has what it takes to do more.
CeeDee Lamb on not catching the potential touchdown pass from Cooper rush in the sun:
“I couldn’t see.”
Are you in favor of curtains in AT&T stadium?
“1000 percent.”#DallasCowboys #cowboys #NFL pic.twitter.com/0i5y6Dvslq— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) November 11, 2024
In this Week 11 matchup, Dallas should target Lamb at least 12 times. He has met or surpassed that total in three games this season, so that is not nearly as crazy as it may sound.
There should be countless screen passes, quick slants, and drags to get the ball in his hands early and let him do what he does for the yards after the catch.
If the Cowboys feed him the way they can, they can get the offense on track and have a chance to beat the Texans on Monday.
Challenges: Why CeeDee Lamb May Struggle
Now, there are some clear obstacles in the way for both the Cowboys offense and CeeDee Lamb. One of those obstacles is external, while the other call is coming from inside the house.
On the external side, the Houston Texans’ defense is no joke. They rank third lowest in yards allowed per game, and they are seventh in passing yards allowed per game.
This Texans defense was swarming in the 1st half vs the best offense w/o Will Anderson & Mario Edwards
3 INT
2 sacks
7 pts
Only 114 total yds allowed. Just 23 rushing & 91 passing. Big time pic.twitter.com/e7Q0HE9nZU— Maanav Gupta (@MGSportsTalk) November 11, 2024
That presents a major challenge for this slumping Dallas offense; after all, they only scored 6 points against a similarly ranked defense last week.
If they couldn’t get Lamb the touches needed for him to take over in Week 10, why would they be able to this week with that same kind of elite defense facing off against them, and a road disadvantage?
These questions are valid, and they are tough to answer, especially when you consider the internal challenge that is the Cowboys’ quarterback situation.
I have nothing but respect for Cooper Rush, but the facts are the facts: he is far from a starting-caliber quarterback, and winning games like this with that challenge is incredibly hard to do.
If the Cowboys can find a way to get CeeDee Lamb the ball consistently, they have a real chance, but between the Texans’ defense and the Rush factor, it may be too tall a task for Dallas.
This is Ceedee quiting on a play as he has done repeatedly, not the sun in his eyes.