Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after colliding with an official on the sideline during a 31-21 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
That won’t go down as one of the highlight plays in his career, but you can bet it will be shown a lot for a long time.
Lamb, who was not dressed to play, was standing in the white-painted restricted area along the sideline when side judge Anthony Jeffries ran into him while pursuing a deep pass in the second quarter.
The collision sent both Lamb and Jeffries to the ground. Lamb was not injured and laughed off the incident with teammates on the sideline, according to ESPN.
Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said after the game that Lamb should not have been in the restricted area. “I hope the guy’s OK. They said he’s OK, the official that he ran into, but we have to be better than that,” Schottenheimer said. “CeeDee knows better. We know better.”
Officials assessed the Cowboys a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for interference with an official, while the Rams were flagged for pass interference on the same play. The Cowboys, instead of having the ball at the Los Angeles 23-yard line, were moved back to the 38 and eventually settled for a field goal.
Referee Alex Moore said the type of collision that occurred is rare but not unprecedented. “Normally, we don’t have anybody standing that deep into the restricted area or that type of forceful contact. So it is a rare occurrence, but it does happen from time to time,” Moore said in a pool report, according to CBS Sports.
Moore added that the white area along the sideline is a designated workspace for officials and is off-limits to players, coaches and staff during live play.
“That white area is our area to work safely,” Moore said.
Lamb’s quarterback, Joe Milton III, noted after the game that Lamb appeared fine after the collision. “I seen him walking so I think he’s pretty fine,” Milton said.
The Cowboys committed 11 penalties for 83 yards during the game. Schottenheimer said he was “fine” with aggressive, combative penalties but was frustrated by pre-snap mistakes and avoidable infractions like the one involving Lamb.
“You can’t give away penalties in this league,” he said, as reported by the Cowboys website.
Jeffries, the official involved in the collision, is a veteran NFL side judge and part of the league’s historic all-Black officiating crew in 2020, according to Pro Football Reference.
Sideline penalties are not common in the NFL, but the league has increased enforcement in recent years to protect officials and players.
In 2017, then-Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was fined for standing too close to the field during a play, nearly tripping an opposing player.
Video of the Lamb collision circulated widely on social media, with some fans defending the call and others questioning the severity of the penalty.
Former NFL officiating executive Dean Blandino said on social media that the penalty was correct, noting that officials need unobstructed access on the sidelines.
The Cowboys will continue preseason play next week. Lamb is expected to return to the field for the regular season as one of Dallas’ top offensive threats.
The Rams, led by rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett, won the game 31-21. Dallas will look to address discipline and sideline management as the team prepares for the regular season opener.