Javonte Williams hasn't had many holes to work with through two games. The Cowboys' run-blocking has been subpar without Tyler Smith, and while Smith is only a few weeks away from returning, Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams have to find a workaround in the meantime.
The last thing Schottenheimer and Adams should do is give CeeDee Lamb carries.
Jerry Jones mentioned the idea this week on 105.3 The Fan, so naturally, Schottenheimer was asked about it on Wednesday. Much to fans' chagrin, Schotty did not turn it down.
"No. I mean, it's not the first choice, but any ways we can find touches for our players, we want to do it." Schottenheimer said.
We're all for finding creative ways to get Lamb touches, but anything behind the line of scrimmage should be off limits. He's simply too important to the offense to expose him to unnecessary punishment. The 52-year-old would deserve all the scorn if he dips back into that well.
Brian Schottenheimer better not use CeeDee Lamb to spark Cowboys' run game
Schottenheimer was specifically asked if he's "reluctant" to involve Lamb, given that the star WR got injured on a handoff against the Chicago Bears last season. Lamb suffered a high-ankle sprain and missed the next three games.
He arguably returned earlier than he should have, as he clearly wasn't 100 percent when he got back on the field. It took him nearly a month to resemble the CeeDee we're all used to seeing.
Being without Lamb for any period of time could sink the season, given how the defense looks. If his current form is any indication, he's out to remind folks that he's a top-five receiver in the world. He's caught 13 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns through two games. He's been a monster.
The Giants and Commanders made it a priority not to let George Pickens beat them, which has naturally created opportunities for Lamb. But don't mistake that for the reason behind his hot start. No. 88 has been flat-out uncoverable.
Fair or not, a lot of fans would call for Schottenheimer's job if Lamb got injured because he was subjected to unnecessary punishment in the trenches.
The last thing Dallas needs is seven or eight defenders running full speed to tackle Lamb. We've all seen the carnage that can unfold on handoffs. I'll settle for one or two defensive backs tackling my franchise wide receiver.
The Cowboys don't need to get creative to jump-start sluggish rushing attack
The simple solution is for the offensive line to start blocking better.
Tyler Guyton and Tyler Booker have held up their end of the bargain, but too often, one player has failed to execute his assignment.
A successful run game requires all five offensive linemen to operate as one organism. One missed block or simply not creating any movement off the snap can torpedo an entire play, and the Week 1 and 2 film is littered with examples.
Another idea? Give Emari Demercado more carries.
Javonte Williams has been Javonte Williams, but it makes no sense that Demercado has only five carries thus far. If Dallas is going to run a screen, call it for Demercado, not Williams.
See if Demercado can inject some juice into the running game and create something in space. At the very least, his explosiveness gives defenses a different look than Williams.
To be clear, nobody has soured on Williams. He's awesome and should remain the bell cow. But if I had to decide between giving Demercado a little more burn or exposing CeeDee Lamb to more hits, it's not even a conversation.
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