The Cowboys’ offense is sputtering at the wrong time, and Troy Aikman didn’t hold back on where he thinks part of the problem starts.
Dallas has put up just 29 points over its last two games after scoring at least 31 in each of the three before that, a sharp slide heading into Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7. While Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams are sorting through the bigger picture, including a running game that hasn’t matched its 2025 production, Aikman pointed the finger at a different issue: the receivers’ routes.
Asked by Mike Fisher whether Dallas wideouts were “running routes as crisply” as he’d like, Aikman gave a blunt answer.
“No, and they haven’t in a while. I won’t name names, but there’s one particular player, I was embarrassed," Aikman said. "It’s the worst performance I’ve ever seen from a receiver on a football field.”
That kind of critique carries weight. Aikman is a three-time Super Bowl winner and has spent roughly 25 years as one of the game’s top broadcasters, studying film and preparing for Cowboys games regularly over the years.
The obvious guessing game now is which receiver drew his ire. George Pickens is an easy suspect, given his past issues with effort when things go sideways, and he was also criticized by Schottenheimer for not giving a full effort in run blocking.
But CeeDee Lamb fits the profile too, after catching nine of his 18 targets for 70 yards. That works out to 7.8 yards per catch, with half of Dak Prescott’s throws to him falling incomplete. Ryan Flournoy is another possibility, coming off seven catches for 40 yards, a 5.7-yard average.
If Aikman was talking about Lamb, it would not be the first time he’s taken aim at the receiver’s route work. In 2024, Aikman said the Cowboys receivers were running “lazy” routes and specifically named Lamb as someone who needs to be better.
The bottom line is that Aikman was not just calling out one player - he was questioning the crispness of the whole receiving group. With that much talent on the roster, that’s a problem Dallas can’t afford if it wants to stay in the NFC East race.
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