The Dallas Cowboys will face their toughest opponent yet this Sunday. After being knocked out by the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs for the last two seasons, the team has plenty of motivation heading into their Week 5 matchup.
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CeeDee Lamb Won’t Dwell on the History
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has felt the heartbreak of losing to the 49ers in the playoffs but is ready to put that past behind him and play hard Sunday against one of the two remaining undefeated teams.
“It’s just a big game — I mean, there’s history that you have to respect, of course, but obviously, now we get another opportunity to fight for our name and continue to prove ourselves,” Lamb said. “The past couple of times, the reason we went home is because of this team. So our best bet is to put our best foot forward, come out fighting early, and do what we gotta do.”
When asked if the emotion of losing last season will channel into the game this Sunday, Lamb said no.
“I can’t dwell on it, you know, the past is the past. History is history,” Lamb said. “Obviously, if you think too much on the history, it’ll repeat itself.”
Lamb’s Comfort Level in Mike McCarthy’s Offense
This game will likely be the biggest test for the new Cowboys offense this season. One remaining question mark is how the “Texas Coast” offense will respond in a shootout or a game where the defense surrenders more points, which will be likely against the 49ers, who average the second-most yards per game in the league.
Lamb said he has felt comfortable with the Mike McCarthy-led offense since training camp and feels confident that they can start making bigger plays. Lamb currently leads the team in receiving yards with 309, averaging 13.4 yards per catch.
“I love the aggressiveness but still feel like we could take more shots with the players that we have in this receiver room. I know they’re very capable of doing that,” Lamb said. “And obviously, you have T.P. [Tony Pollard] and Rico [Dowdle] and Deuce [Vaughn] back there running the ball with the tight ends helping and playing a factor. So, it’s kind of easy on us as far as receivers, but I know at some point that they’re going to call on the receivers, and we’re going to have to step up.”
The 49ers’ defensive line is one of the best in the league, and diminishing their efficiency will be a key factor in the Cowboys’ success this week.
“Going up against their front seven and then they’re back end, it’s gonna be a test for us offensively,” Lamb said. “A lot of questions will be answered this game.”
Additionally, the red-zone offense has still proven to be an issue that the Cowboys need to overcome, especially if they want to take home a win this week. The offense is 7 of 19 in their red-zone attempts so far this season. Execution will be key in keeping pace with a high-powered Niners offense.
“It’s just always gradually getting better no matter who the opponent is, and they happen to be that opponent to where it goes from one reception to 100 yards,” Lamb said.
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“Obviously, the players are going to play, and you kind of see their tendencies, see what they’re good at, see what they’re bad at, and you want to exploit those tendencies, but overall, it’s going to be physical. You could scheme up any kind of play that you want, but at the end of the day, you got to beat the man that’s in front of you.”