The Dallas Cowboys have mostly disappointed amid a 3-4 start, with many of their stars either injured or underperforming. One of those stars came under the microscope earlier this week, with Hall of Famer Michael Irvin calling out CeeDee Lamb.
Hear what Irvin had to say about his fellow member of the 88 Club and whether his criticism is justified.
What Did Michael Irvin Say About CeeDee Lamb?
Last week, Lamb was asked about the fan tours that go through the Cowboys’ facility. The fifth-year wide receiver acknowledged that “sometimes” that type of fan access can be a distraction.
CeeDee Lamb if tours at The Star are a distraction: "Sometimes. That's all I'm going to say."
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) October 24, 2024
This opinion set off Irvin, who played all 12 seasons of his career with Dallas. Appearing on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Irvin did not mention Lamb by name but went off on the idea that the tours could be a distraction, specifically citing modern player salaries.
.@michaelirvin88 responds to Cowboys' players complaining about distractions at the facility. 😅 pic.twitter.com/YlZ0073U3W
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 30, 2024
Lamb Has Not Played Up to His Standards in 2024
This isn’t the place to discuss whether higher salaries should require more tolerance for different types of treatment and distractions, as that’s a thorny issue. What we can do is illustrate how Irvin’s complaints wouldn’t have been vocalized in the first place if Lamb and the Cowboys’ offense simply performed up to their standards.
Lamb signed a massive four-year, $136 million deal before the season. It was a well-deserved reward after his record-setting 2023 campaign, which saw him post 135 receptions and 1,749 receiving yards, both breaking Irvin’s single-season franchise records.
However, Lamb has fallen well off that pace this year. His 62.5% catch rate is a career-low, and his receiving yards per game have fallen from 102.9 in 2023 to 87.6 this year. That’s still a stellar figure, albeit one propped up by his 146-yard game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8 (his first 100-yard game of the season).
By advanced metrics, Lamb hasn’t been quite as efficient. His 0.15 EPA per target is on pace to be a career-low and well below last season’s 0.54 EPA per target rate. After ranking fifth in that category among WRs in 2023, Lamb ranks 53rd so far in 2024.
Lamb’s uneven year is a byproduct of the Cowboys’ offensive struggles as a whole. After leading the league in scoring offense in 2023, the Cowboys rank 22nd in that category this year. Dallas also ranks 22nd in PFN’s Offense+ metric, which uses various situational EPA and success rate figures.
There are many problems with the 2024 Cowboys that go beyond their WR1, but the stars take the brunt of the blame when things go south, and it’s no surprise to see Lamb in Irvin’s crosshairs as a result.