The Dallas Cowboys will need more production from both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott in the second half of the season.
FRISCO — CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott have not been able to recapture the magic of their partnership from last year to this point. 2023 became a breakout season for the Dallas Cowboys' star receiver, but he has not showcased the same brilliance this time around.
There have certainly been flashes. Prescott and Lamb have connected on two big plays for touchdowns and on several other plays that could have sparked the hot streak Cowboys fans got used to a season ago. But they have not found anything consistently yet.
Perhaps Lamb's holdout is partially to blame as he missed training camp as he awaited a contract extension. Now seven weeks into the season though, that theory carries little weight.
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Certainly some scheming issues have contributed to their lackluster showing thus far, but on the tape it becomes clear the two have not clicked out of the gate.
Nonetheless, Lamb feels they could be turning a corner in the second half of the season. Thursday, he conveyed the work he put in with his quarterback during the Cowboys' week off from competition.
“We love our bye weeks. We took advantage of it. We got right," he said. "We used every opportunity to get better and I feel like it’s going to show. We got on some routes, and obviously the timing is everything. We needed that.”
Whichever way the duo gelled and reassessed matters during the bye, they will have to translate on the field for Dallas immediately.
The Cowboys' run game could use some tinkering, but even those efforts may not lift the league's worst rushing attack. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' defense continues to experience growing pains without its stars in the lineup.
If the Cowboys reignite their hopes for another postseason push in the next 11 weeks, it will come through the efforts of Prescott, Lamb and the rest of this passing offense. That entails the other weapons on this offense who need to contribute, but the focus remains on those two.
Dallas' path back to contention relies on Prescott performing at a high level and he is undoubtedly at his best when his No. 1 target is shredding opposing secondaries.
