CeeDee Lamb absolutely went off on Sunday, hitting a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards, including the game-winning touchdown with just 40 seconds left to snatch a 34-30 win for the Dallas Cowboys over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. This was a brutal one for Houston, now sitting on a four-game losing streak, and the defense is straight up owning it.
The CeeDee Lamb Takeover That No One Could Stop
This dude Lamb was on another level, especially coming home to play in front of his old stomping grounds after starring at Foster High School in Richmond. The Cowboys made no secret they were going to him on that final drive, throwing his way for five of their last eight completions after Houston had actually clawed their way to a 30-27 lead with 2:23 left. But even knowing it, the Texans had zero answer. That game-winning touchdown? A 12-yard toss from Dak Prescott, where Lamb just ran a simple route right over the middle, torching nickel cornerback Jalen Pitre like it was nothing. It just looked too easy.
“We’re The Ones Out There”: Players Take the Blame
You always hear about coaches getting flak after a loss, especially with DeMeco Ryans’ timeout decisions getting questioned for the second week in a row. But the Texans’ secondary, man, they’re not having it. All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. stepped up and said the blame is 100% on the guys on the field, not the sidelines. “It sucks, because we know we’re the ones out there on the field,” Stingley said. “The coaches put us in the right position to win and we’ve got to do it. They can’t do it, we’ve got to do it. We’ve got great coaches, we’ve got great everybody. We’ve got to go out there and do our job.” In a locker room that sounded completely shell-shocked after losing their fourth straight, defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who still managed a half-sack and five hits on Prescott, echoed that sentiment. He said it’s on every defensive player to have each other’s back. “We play man-to-man coverage and we can’t have him out there like that. We’ve got to have his back.” Even Ryans, who said he needed to hit the film to figure out where things blew up, was clear: “There is no coverage where we design to leave guys open. That’s not a coverage.”
Prescott Knew It Was Coming (And Almost Blew It)
Here’s the kicker: Dak Prescott himself said he knew that game-winning play to Lamb was going to be a touchdown from the moment it was installed during the week. He saw how the Texans’ defense played, and credit to head coach Brian Schottenheimer for calling it at the perfect time. “As soon as it was called, I knew it was a touchdown,” Prescott said. Funny thing is, Dallas almost never even got to that play. On the very first snap of that final drive, Prescott nearly threw a pick, a gift-wrapped interception that could’ve sealed the game for Houston. But they got away with it, and Lamb made them pay.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, losing four in a row, especially when you had a late lead. For the Texans, this isn’t just another loss, it’s a huge blow to their confidence, and the players are clearly feeling the weight. They gotta figure out how to rally, get on the same page, and find an answer for guys like Lamb when they show up next week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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