Troy Aikman has harsh criticism of CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys’ receivers

Nov 21, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys former quarterback Troy Aikman attends the NFL game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys are coming off of their second embarrassing home loss of the season, and Troy Aikman feels he has identified one of the team’s main issues.

Aikman discussed the Cowboys’ struggles during a Thursday morning appearance on 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas. The Hall of Fame quarterback was asked if he thinks the time CeeDee Lamb missed during the offseason has negatively impacted Lamb’s chemistry with Dak Prescott. Aikman said the problem he sees is that all of the Cowboys’ wide receivers fail to give full effort on every play.

“I think the routes are terrible. I think they run terrible routes, and I’ve thought that beyond this year,” Aikman said. “I think CeeDee’s gotta improve in his route-running. As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are gonna be consistently, it’s hard to play the position.

“That’s what I see. I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run. Usually if they do it’s because they’re anticipating they’re gonna get the football on that play. If they’re not, they don’t, and it all ties together. I’m not impressed with that part of it.”

Troy Aikman on the Cowboys WRs😳👀 pic.twitter.com/5NsMZN0U37

— MartinTalkCowboys (@DAK_4_MVP) October 17, 2024

Lamb led the NFL with 135 catches last season. He set career highs across the board and finished with 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He then held out for all of training camp and the preseason before signing a massive extension.

Lamb has 467 yards through six games this year, but there have been numerous times where he and Prescott were not on the same page. The Pro Bowl wideout also made a big admission about the way he was carrying himself earlier in the season.

The Cowboys are 3-3 and have given up more than 40 points in two of their home games. They have had some major issues on defense, but Aikman views the game through a quarterback’s lens. If he has seen Lamb and other receivers loafing it with their routes, that is probably something the Cowboys’ coaching staff needs to address.