CeeDee Lamb’s 17th catch Sunday was the one that mattered most: a 12-yard touchdown from Dak Prescott at the final second of Dallas’ 34-30 victory over Houston. It was a terrific finish, though hardly an ideal operating procedure for an offense that would prefer to solve more problems before the clock turns theatrical.
Prescott returned to the subject Tuesday ahead of Tampa Bay’s Thursday visit. He expects to be ready for the short week and acknowledged room for improvement in Dallas’ offense. The Cowboys are 2-2 despite scoring 30.5 points a game. They have useful answers; they also have a habit of waiting an awfully long time to use them.
Sunday gave Dallas a curious statistical split. The Cowboys managed six points in the first half, then scored 28 after halftime to escape Houston. Lamb supplied the obvious outlet, seeing 21 targets across 45 routes.
His workload was productive; he finished the game with the winning touchdown and remains one of the league’s most productive receivers, carrying 37 catches for 498 yards and four scores this season.
Still, a receiver can be both the best answer and an answer defenses spend the entire afternoon trying to remove. Tampa safety Tykee Smith discussed the challenge presented by Lamb and George Pickens, who move around to create favorable matchups. Smith also emphasized disguising coverage so Prescott cannot immediately identify the defense and check into the play it wants him to choose.
That is Tampa’s stated aim, not evidence that the Buccaneers will execute it perfectly. It does explain why Dallas needs more than a single preferred solution.
Moving Lamb between outside and slot alignments gives Dallas several ways to challenge coverage. It also gives Prescott a useful decoy when Tampa’s coverage tilts toward him. The Cowboys do not need to reduce Lamb’s involvement merely to prove they are balanced. They need to make the attention paid to him costly.
Jake Ferguson offers a different kind of answer. His 2026 line is 12 receptions for 83 yards and three touchdowns, modest yardage beside Lamb’s total but excellent scoring production for his share of the offense. The previous season provides a more specific clue: Ferguson converted six of 13 targets from inside the 10-yard line into touchdowns.
That history does not guarantee another scoring night, particularly against a defense that has shown some competence near the goal line. It does make him a sensible option when the field gets compressed and the coverage forces Prescott away from his first read.
Tampa’s 0-4 record should not be mistaken for a defensive invitation. The Buccaneers have held each of their past three opponents below 285 total yards. Their red-zone touchdown rate allowed is 45.5%, tied for fifth in the league comparison supplied for this matchup.
Those numbers describe a defense capable of making Dallas earn its efficient throws, even while Tampa’s own offense has failed to reach 21 points in any game.
The strongest caution against treating Tuesday’s comments as proof of improvement is sitting in Dallas’ recent game script. The Cowboys also needed the final seconds against Houston, while their Sept. 27 defeat to Baltimore in Rio reached its own late tension. Dallas is scoring 30.5 points per game, yet its defense is allowing 28.0.
