Troy Aikman did not hold back his frustration this week. The Hall of Fame quarterback told Sports Illustrated that the current group of Dallas wide receivers has failed to run crisp routes for a long time. Aikman went so far as to say one specific player was embarrassing in his performance. That is a heavy claim from a man who won three Super Bowls with the team.
The Cowboys just lost 23-13 to Green Bay on Sunday, Oct. 18. Their offense has only scored 29 points over the last two games. That is a massive drop from the 31-plus points they put up in the three games before that. Before facing the Eagles on Monday Night Football, offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and head coach Brian Schottenheimer seek solutions. Aikman says the problem is not just the scheme, but the execution by the receivers themselves.
Who Is Aikman Talking About?
Aikman refused to name the specific player who made him cringe. “No, and they haven’t in a while. I won’t name names, but there’s one particular player, I was embarrassed,” Aikman said. He followed that up with a harsher assessment. “It’s the worst performance I’ve ever seen from a receiver on a football field,” he added. Fans are already guessing who fits that description. Some point to George Pickens, who has a history of questionable effort and was recently called out by Schottenheimer for poor run blocking.
Others look at CeeDee Lamb, who caught nine passes on 18 targets for just 70 yards in the loss. That averages out to 7.8 yards per catch. Half of the targets thrown to Lamb were incomplete. Ryan Flournoy is another option, as he finished with only 40 yards on seven receptions. Aikman has called out Lamb before, saying during the 2024 season that the receivers were running “lazy” routes. The criticism is not new, but the intensity is higher now.
Fixing the Problem Before Monday
The Dallas roster has too much talent to accept this level of play. Sloppy routes will destroy the team’s hope of chasing an NFC East title. The offense cannot move the ball if the timing is off. Aikman has studied film for 25 years as a broadcaster. His take is that the entire corps is struggling, not just one guy.
There is some good news on the injury front. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Cobie Durant are trending toward a return for the game on Monday, Oct. 26. Both were full participants in Friday’s practice.
