Troy Aikman didn’t hold back Thursday morning. During a weekly radio interview, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current “Monday Night Football” TV analyst shared a major issue he sees when watching the Cowboys this season.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer has noticed a wide receiving corps that is making quarterback Dak Prescott’s job more difficult.
“I think the routes are terrible,” Aikman said on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. “I think they run terrible routes. And I’ve thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) 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.”
There’s been plenty to criticize recently about the Cowboys. They entered their bye week this week at 3-3, having just suffered the worst home loss — 47-9 to the Detroit Lions — in Jerry Jones’ 35 years of owning the franchise.
The Cowboys have the NFL’s worst running game, the defense is allowing 28 points per game and they’ve suffered lopsided defeats in all three home games. There’s plenty of blame to go around. But it was interesting to hear Aikman point out the routes of the wide receivers not being acceptable and comparing them to other top teams.
“I just finished watching the Baltimore Ravens because I have them this week,” Aikman added. “You put on film of theirs and watch their receivers run routes and they come off the football, so does San Francisco’s and Green Bay’s and others. 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 (Prescott). Dak may say, ‘Hey, I think (their routes) are amazing.’ But as a former quarterback watching it, it’s gotta get a lot better.”
Required reading
(Photo: Kevin Jairag / Imagn Images)
