CeeDee Lamb arrived in Indianapolis bearing a heavy burden. The same offense that had taken down opponents last year was looking like a shadow of itself. Going up against a 2-5 Colts side, the receiver knew there was plenty to be done, especially with his partner in crime, George Pickens, sitting this one out. 

“This is our moment. This is why you’re here. Show the world what you can do. I know my guys can win one-on-one,” he told his teammates. As a receiver with five years with the Cowboys offense, Lamb had to lead by example. 

And you’d think with nearly two hundred receiving yards on the board, Lamb would be satisfied, but apparently not, and he’s not shying away from assigning blame. 

Following the game, Lamb went on to say, “Before the review, obviously, I thought I was down because I felt, I don’t know who it was, I think it was a linebacker. He hit me in my back as I was trying to make a move, and I went down, right? But I used my arm with the ball, which, obviously, I feel like I shouldn’t have, but when you’re in a moment of moving around, I guess when you’re in a situation, you’re not really thinking.”

“But I know not to use the ball to keep my balance next time, but I also thought I was down by contact. Clearly, the refs had it out for me this week. … The refs weren’t messing with me this week.”

Lamb’s comments go back to a moment in the fourth quarter that was possibly the biggest highlight from Sunday. On a third-and-12 play in the fourth quarter, Prescott threw a pass near the sideline, and Lamb, who had found some space, managed the catch before going to the ground at the Indianapolis 40. But since he hadn’t been taken down by contact or gone out of bounds, the receiver got back up and took off toward the end zone.

It should have been a play that brought another touchdown for the Cowboys, but right near the end zone, Lamb lost his footing. And just as he hit the ground, the ball popped right out of his hands and was recovered by the Colts. On the field, it was initially ruled as a first down for Dallas. But when the Colts challenged the call, everything changed.

Replay showed that it was a Colts player who actually brought him down near the end zone, and instead of a first down, it was a turnover. But that sounds like a clear call right? So why would Lamb openly call out officials?

After all, the league fines a player at least $25,000 if he publicly criticizes the officials. We’ve already seen Packers safety Xavier McKinney go on a rant about the officiating in the Packers’ 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. 

Well, it might have something to do with how the referee calls affected his impact in the game. Lamb ended the night with 10 catches, 195 yards, and a touchdown, and it was his second-best single-game performance since 2023. Interestingly, these numbers come after two referee calls wiped out massive gains from the receiver. 

He was called for two offensive pass interferences. The first one cost him an 18-yard catch, while the second wiped out a 13-yard catch. Had those penalties not been called on the field, he would have come incredibly close to beating his career-best 227-yard game from 2023 against the Lions. 

So it wasn’t a surprise when Lamb didn’t sound too happy about the calls.

“There have been plenty of instances where I let the [defensive back] touch me first and then I create separation, so I’m just kind of confused, as if I don’t create separation and I just let him hold me, are they going to call holding? I’m not even finnin’ to live in that realm as to letting them hold me because you can’t physically. You can’t hold me,” Lamb said.

At the same time, the receiver knows the penalties have been a problem, not just for the rest of the team, but for him too. That’s why amidst all the frustration, the receiver took stock of the situation. 

“But I think I had, like, three penalties alone in the second half, and a fumble. Personally, I gotta take a real good look. The numbers look crazy, but it could have been more. And I’m always thinking about what could have been. So, as for me, as a leader on this offense, I feel like I’ve got to be better in some realms, and just end the game,” Lamb said.

While Lamb was disappointed in himself, especially for the fumble, head coach Brian Schottenheimer was simply impressed by the standards that the first-team All-Pro sets for himself.

“That’s who CeeDee is as a competitor. He said, ‘Hey, I owe you one.’ I said, ‘You don’t owe me anything, dude.’ Great player, great effort,” Schottenheimer said.

For the Cowboys, their win puts them second in the NFC East, with a record of 4-5. But the path ahead is even more difficult, as the Cowboys will face the San Francisco 49ers next, who have a 7-1 record.

Lamb knows the next game is going to be a battle, and that’s why he believed that the team “needed a dub going into (the 49ers game).” For now, Lamb has time to rest and prepare for the Week 10 clash.