FRISCO, Texas – Realistically, the Cowboys' receivers were probably never going to live up to the hype.
From the drafting of CeeDee Lamb, to the preseason prognostications about three 1,000-yard receivers, it's a lot to live up to.
But Michael Gallup was pleased with what he saw from the first outing of the season.
"I think it was solid," Gallup said. "Obviously, we weren't on the field a whole, whole lot. But it looked good when we saw the film. We just didn't get all the big plays we wanted to."
No one can attest to that more than Gallup. Obviously, the narrative from Week 1 might have flipped completely if not for an offensive pass interference penalty that negated the biggest gain of the night. The would-be 47-yard bomb would have given Gallup four catches for 97 yards on the night – and it would have given Dallas a chance to tie or win the game.
Gallup said it taught him a lesson to take moving into the future.
"I guess just beat him a little bit more at the line so we're not play fighting down the field for a good 10 yards. That's the best I can put it," he said.
Even still, it's not as if the Cowboys' receivers were quiet against the Rams. The trio of Gallup, Lamb and Amari Cooper combined for 190 yards on 18 catches. Cooper paced the team with 10 catches for 81 yards – albeit with a couple key miscues – and Lamb's 33-yard catch was the longest of the night.
Much like Gallup, Lamb's biggest takeaway will probably be a missed opportunity. His 4th-and-3 catch and run also had the potential to be one of the night's biggest moments – but instead he was tackled short of the sticks for a turnover on downs.
Gallup said he was encouraged by how hard Lamb took the first loss of his pro career.
"That's what you want to see from a young guy like that, because he put in a lot of time and effort learning the playbook and coming out here and working," he said. "To see him really want to win like that, that just shows his character. He's going to be a good player for us for a long time."
Perhaps call it a night of close calls. The Cowboys' receivers didn't have a bad night, but there's plenty of room to improve. It goes without saying that the front office didn't invest these resources in the position for so few big plays.
But as Gallup noted, there's plenty more time for that.
"They're going to come, so we're not worried about it," he said. "It's a long season. But I think we meshed well together."
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