Troy Aikman Calls Out Cowboys Over CeeDee Lamb Usage in Playoffs

The Dallas Cowboys have some reckoning to deal with after their excruciating loss to the San Francisco 49ers in this year's playoffs. It was a very winnable game that the Cowboys lost due to a stunning amount of self-inflicted wounds and a very poor day offensively. Big changes are unlikely, but it's a defeat Jerry Jones will be stewing over for a long time.

Troy Aikman, who did not call the game per usual but certainly wished he did, watched and had some thoughts on how the Cowboys used CeeDee Lamb. Or, more appropriately, how they didn't use him. In his weekly radio interview, Aikman criticized Dallas for sticking to their scheme rather than recognizing that the Niners weren't paying due attention to Lamb and attacking accordingly.

Lamb finished the day with exactly one catch for 21 yards. So Aikman clearly has a point. Lamb is pretty easily the team's most electric playmaker and those types of guys need as many touches as possible when everything is on the line. Taking what the defense gives you can only get an offense so far, and the Cowboys didn't even do that considering they almost never threw to Lamb when he was single-covered.

This feels like more of a critique of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore than Dak Prescott, but both are at fault. It's a learning opportunity for Moore, only in his third season in charge of the offense. It's a good reminder for Prescott that trusting your top options is often a better bet than playing within the framework of the play.

Dallas will not be able to enact such changes until next September. But they should probably listen to what their former quarterback has to say.