Refs ruined CeeDee Lamb's perfect TD celebration with bogus penalty

CeeDee Lamb drew the ire of Dallas Cowboys fans last week for both his poor performance on the field and ugly body language.

Lamb's frustration got the best of him, as he was seen throwing a temper tantrum when he wasn't targeted. It culminated in a heated exchange on the Cowboys sideline with Dak Prescott. While Lamb has had a penchant for having poor body language, his display last Sunday was an aberration.

Everyone expected All-Pro Lamb to return on Thursday night and so far that is exactly what has happened. With the Giants down two cornerbacks, Dak Prescott made it a point to get Lamb involved early and often.

In the second quarter, Prescott hit Lamb on a pass up the sideline and Lamb evaded two Giants defenders and waltzed into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown. Every oozing confidence, Lamb turned back and look at the pursuing defender as he crossed the goal line to let him know he got beat.

It was a perfect celebration, but the refs rained on the parade and flagged Lamb for taunting.

Refs hit CeeDee Lamb with bogus taunting penalty after long TD vs. Giants

Where exactly did the taunting transpire? It's not like Lamb waved goodbye to the defender as he reached the end zone. Even that wouldn't be grounds for taunting.

Amazon Prime broadcasters Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit were in utter disbelief that the refs penalized Lamb. Even J.J. Watt couldn't believe his eyes. Brandon Aubrey made the 48-yard extra point, but we are witnessing another case of a refereeing crew trying to steal the spotlight of a primetime game.

Before this, the Cowboys had received a good whistle. The refs flagged Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger for an offensive facemask. The penalty should have went against Dallas, but it knocked New York out of the red zone.

At the same time, though, the refs called a holding on Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton that got picked up. It would have negated a Rico Dowdle touchdown had it stood.

Lamb's taunting penalty might take the cake for the worst call of the first half. There are obvious instances when taunting to be called, like when a defender steps over a player after making a tackle, or if there's a face-to-face altercation. Turning around before scoring a touchdown is harmless compared to some of the taunting penalties that have been called over the years.

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