CeeDee Lamb was unhappy about losing a ball in the sun on an incompletion that helped keep Dallas from scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the first half of a 34-6 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was perturbed that the sun was brought up again as an issue in his $1.2 billion retractable roof stadium, which has glass doors on either end.
AT&T Stadium has an unusual east-west alignment from end zone to end zone, as opposed to most venues being north-south. On clear days, the sun shines in the windows on the west side during the first half of games that kick off in the afternoon.
Lamb, Dallas’ All-Pro receiver, was looking into the sun in the second quarter while open on a crossing route in the end zone when a throw from Cooper Rush went behind him and he never adjusted to the ball.
Lamb then pointed to his eyes and was making similar gestures on the sideline during another frustrating home loss for the Cowboys (3-6), who are on a four-game losing streak overall and 0-4 at AT&T Stadium.
“I couldn’t see the ball. Couldn’t see the ball, at all. The sun,” said Lamb, who ended a preseason-long holdout by signing a $136 million, four-year contract extension in late August.
Asked whether the Cowboys should put up curtains, Lamb said: “Yes. One thousand percent.”
And on the question of making the suggestion to Jones, Lamb said, “I mean, y’all are doing my job for me right now.”
It has been suggested plenty of times, and Jones always has flatly rejected it. The 82-year-old billionaire angrilyrebuffed it after bringing up the issue unprompted in his postgame session with reporters.
“By the way, we know where the sun is going to be when we flip the coin, so we do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium,” Jones said. “Let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?”
While Jones’ response could be taken as a criticism of embattled coach Mike McCarthy, Jones said it wasn’t.
“Every team that comes in here has the same issues,” Jones said. “They know where the sun is going to be. Every team has the same thing. I’m not saying (it’s on McCarthy). I’m saying the world knows where the sun is. We get to know that almost a year in advance. So someone asked me about the sun. What about the sun? Where’s the moon? We’re fine. But everybody plays in the sun out here.”
The Cowboys are bracing for official word that quarterback Dak Prescott needs season-ending surgery for a torn hamstring. They have lost five in a row at AT&T Stadium, with five turnovers in each of the past two losses.
The curtains, or lack thereof, just add to the angst. The next time they will be an issue is Thanksgiving Day against the New York Giants.
“You can’t win games turning the ball over five times,” McCarthy said. “I don’t give a (expletive) who lines up. So that’s the part we got to get right.”
Business decision
Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.’s “business decision” to sit out a recent game with a knee injury may have backfired.
Wills was recently benched in favor of second-year tackle Dawand Jones, who was moved from right tackle to the left side in hopes of improving a Cleveland line that has been beset with injuries.
Wills said it was his decision not to play against Baltimore on Oct. 27 after he hyperextended his left knee — the same one he had surgery on in December — on the game’s first play the previous week against Cincinnati.
Then, after the Browns (2-7) upset the Ravens with Jones at left tackle, Wills said coach Kevin Stefanski told him that he would no longer start but instead serve as a “swing” tackle. He backed up both Jones and right tackle Jack Conklin for the Nov. 3 loss to the Chargers.
A first-round draft pick in 2020 out of Alabama, Wills had started all 57 games in which he was healthy before the demotion.
Niners spat squashed
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan called a sideline spat involving star receiver Deebo Samuel and two teammates an “overreaction” and said the team has put it to rest.
The moment in question came late in San Francisco’s 23-20 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday after kicker Jake Moody missed his third field goal of the game.
TV cameras caught Samuel exchanging words and shoving long snapper Taybor Pepper in the throat when the frustrated wide receiver approached Moody on the sideline. Samuel also glanced the side of Moody’s helmet with his follow-through.
“I didn’t think it was too big of a deal,” Shanahan said Monday. “But after getting home and seeing it all on ‘SportsCenter’ and everything and all that stuff, I wanted to make sure I did. Talked to the guys about it, talked to a number of guys on the team. We squashed it and we’re good.”
Briefly
>> Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott on Monday announced starting linebacker Matt Milano will resume practicing this week after missing three months with a torn left biceps, but won’t be ready to play against Kansas City on Sunday.