FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys have moved on from their narrow loss to Baltimore, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said the message inside the locker room is straightforward: finish.
Dallas fell 34-31 to the Ravens after failing to convert a critical opportunity from the 1-yard line. For Lamb, the missed chance reinforced the importance of executing when opportunities are there.
“I just feel like we just got to finish, man,” Lamb said.
That mindset will be tested Sunday when the Cowboys travel to Houston to face a Texans secondary Lamb described as young, athletic and physical. Houston plays plenty of press-man coverage, putting an emphasis on receivers winning their individual matchups and creating separation at the top of their routes.
“They play press man,” Lamb said. “They got a good DB in Stingley. They got a good DB corps.”
Lamb also welcomed the addition of cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was acquired by Dallas this week. The two could provide each other with a competitive challenge during practice, although Lamb noted the Cowboys don’t regularly put their offense and defense through extensive “good-on-good” work.
When those opportunities do come, Lamb expects the competition to be valuable.
“He’s a real tall, lanky corner, real good at his technique,” Lamb said. “He stays patient.”
While Porter settles into the Cowboys’ defense, Lamb continues to build on his connection with quarterback Dak Prescott. The two have played together for seven seasons, and Lamb said their familiarity has helped them develop an understanding of how to create opportunities downfield.
“We’ve been doing this for about seven years now,” Lamb said. “We’ve been cooking.”
Lamb has also benefited from being healthy, something he credited for his strong start to the season.
Now the Cowboys head to Houston with an opportunity to respond to the Baltimore loss. For Lamb, the formula isn’t complicated: execute, finish drives and make sure the team is in position when the clock reaches zero.
The game also gives Lamb a chance to return to his hometown. He said he has plenty of family in Houston who are looking forward to seeing him play at NRG Stadium.
For Lamb, though, the homecoming is secondary to the task at hand.
The Cowboys need to finish.
