INDIANAPOLIS — Another massive game is in the books for CeeDee Lamb, but that's not really what's on his mind. Despite racking up 195 receiving yards on 10 receptions with a touchdown in helping to power the Dallas Cowboys to their fourth win of the season, the All-Pro receiver feels he could've and should've done more.
For reference, Lamb had two offensive pass interference penalties called against him, as well as a false start and then came the controversial fumble that was initially ruled down by contact before it was later overturned on review.
So while Lamb was indeed lights out, he's focused on the meat he left on the bone, and that's what is fueling him for Week 10 — though he will absolutely take the 27-23 victory over the Colts, an outcome they've struggled to walk away recently with in close games (see versus Ravens and Cardinals, for example).
"Those are the games that you love to end up on top," Lamb said. "We understand it was the same situation that we were kind of in last week, and we didn't end up on top then, so just finishing out the game, finishing out the drive — shout out to the defense for ending the game.
"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."
It was a Cowboys offense that didn't have George Pickens, ruled out ahead of kickoff due to a hamstring injury, and that forced others to step up in critical moments to help Lamb carry the load.
One such player was a usual suspect, namely, Ryan Flournoy, whose late-game heroics on the final offensive drive — a 46-yard reception downfield with Sauce Gardner draped over him — gave the Cowboys the momentum and field position to, this week, punch the ball in for a touchdown instead of settling for a field goal.
"Shout out to Flo, man. Shout out, Flo," Lamb said. "We were having a big conversation throughout the game, just communicating as to what we were seeing on defense. And I kept seeing that the safety was rolling over to me. Realizing that [Pickens] is not there and they're gonna make somebody else beat them,
"I just gave my guys a quick pep talk, like, '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, and shout out to Flo winning one-on-one against one of the top guys in this league, and on a go ball. Clutch, clutch situation, and it gave us all the momentum that we needed."
As for the aforementioned fumble, a frustrated Lamb explained his view on the matter.
"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 said. "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."
With this game in the rearview, only eight games remaining to generate momentum in the win-loss column and with the hated San Francisco 49ers coming to AT&T Stadium in Week 10, where the Cowboys have struggled lately, Lamb readily admits, as he continually has, that it's high time Dallas began figuring out ways to not simply win games.
They need to figure out how to keep winning them.
"Yeah, we needed a dub going into [the 49ers game]," he said. " We all know that. And then we know what we got going on, just the history of that [matchup], the guys that they have over there on defense and the prep, I mean, it's going to take a lot of a lot of preparation, and a lot of execution.
"We can't have as many flags because they have a really good offense, too."
But, for at least 24 hours, they can enjoy the simple fact that they found ways to win in Indianapolis when it mattered most, proving they can do it going forward.
The only thing left to do now … is exactly that.
