Cowboys legend Troy Aikman had some harsh words for Dallas receivers during a hit on a local sports radio segment this week.
The Hall of Fame quarterback criticized the Cowboys’ lack of playmakers outside of CeeDee Lamb and how that has made quarterback Dak Prescott’s job that much harder.
The Cowboys are 19th in scoring (21 points per game) in the NFL after the first six weeks of the season.
They’re are 3-3 and coming off an embarrassing loss to the Lions, which happened to fall on the same day as owner Jerry Jones’ birthday.
“I think the routes are terrible,” Aikman said on 1310 The Ticket, according to Pro Football Talk. “I think they run terrible routes, and I’ve thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are going to be consistently it’s hard to play the position. That’s what I see.
“I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage. Sometimes they run. Usually if they do, it’s because they’re anticipating they’re going to get the football on that play, but if they’re not, they don’t. And it all ties together. I’m not impressed with that part of it.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion also took note of the disconnect that seems to be between Lamb and Prescott.
Lamb had a lengthy holdout during training camp as he sought a new deal, which ultimately came just days before the start of the 2024 season.
Aikman compared the way receivers have run routes on other teams to what has been going on in Dallas and noted how hard it can be for the quarterback when they’re not sure where players will be on the field.
“But it’s hard to play the [quarterback] position if you’re not certain how guys are going to run routes or where they’re going to be. And I’m not speaking for Dak. Dak may say, ‘Hey, I think [their routes] are amazing.’ But as a former quarterback watching it, it’s got to get a lot better,” he said.
Dallas has a bye this week before going to San Francisco in Week 8.
