Troy Aikman: Cowboys should have thrown more often…
2 min read
Getty Images
Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who openly lamented not calling the 49ers-Cowboys playoff game, has some thoughts about the manner in which the Dallas offense operated in the loss to the 49ers.
Aikman, appearing Wednesday morning on 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas, said that the Cowboys should have gotten the ball more often to receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“San Francisco rushed four guys, for the most part, they blitzed occasionally, but they’re a four-man rush football team,” Aikman said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “But a lot of time when you say that, then you think they’re playing coverage, then you think they’re playing coverage. They mixed in some coverage, but there was a lot of single coverage on CeeDee Lamb. . . . I hate going back to [my playing days] because nobody cares, but what I see around the league, it’s not just Dallas, I’ve seen it with a lot of teams, a lot of these offenses want to scheme things. The coordinators, it’s all about scheme, rather than, ‘This corner is playing soft. He’s scared to death. Just run the route tree. . . .’ You’re going to complete the pass whenever you want. [Michael Irvin] would’ve had 10 catches at halftime if they played us the way they played CeeDee Lamb in that game. . . . The game is not that difficult. If I’ve got a great player at wide receiver and a corner is playing him single coverage, throw him the ball. He’s going to win most of the time.”
That’s an important point as it relates to the construction and execution of the Dallas offense. Ultimately, it comes down to matchups and potential mismatches. The 49ers have a suspect secondary. Lamb surely was open a lot more often than he got the ball.
It’s something to keep in mind, with the 49ers facing the Packers this weekend. If Aaron Rodgers sees Davante Adams (or another talented receiver) getting single coverage, that player will be getting the ball. Frequently.
If the Cowboys had done it more often with Lamb, they’d quite possibly be heading back to Tampa this weekend, frankly.
Troy Aikman: Cowboys should have thrown more often to CeeDee Lamb
