ARLINGTON, Texas -- With quarterback Dak Prescott out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, the Dallas Cowboys, losers of five of their first eight games, need every 50-50 play to go their way with backup Cooper Rush under center.
The Cowboys' home -- AT&T Stadium -- didn't do them any favors in the first half of Week 10 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas caught a break after All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons strip-sacked Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, which allowed the Cowboys to start a drive 6 yards from the end zone.
Then, AT&T Stadium aided Philadelphia's defense in keeping Dallas out of the end zone. Rush threw the football CeeDee Lamb's way on second-and-goal from the 3, and his pass appeared as though it would hit Lamb in between the numbers for an easy, go-ahead touchdown.
However, Lamb lost the football in the glare of the Texas sun protruding from AT&T Stadium windows that face east to west and cast a light over the field as the sun goes down. The 2023 NFL receptions leader immediately pointed to his eyes to indicate that he couldn't see the football. Dallas ended up settling for a 23-yard field goal to cut the Eagles lead to a point, 7-6.
Cowboys owner and general Jerry Jones also owns full-length blackout curtains for AT&T Stadium's windows, and they are put in use for concerts, college football games, high school football games and almost any other event hosted at his stadium. Lamb said postgame that he is "one thousand percent" in favor of the curtains being used for Cowboys home games. He also said he didn't need to talk to Jones about since local media members are already doing just that.
"By the way, we know where the sun is going to be when we decide to flip the coin or not," Jones said postgame. "We do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium. ... Well, let's just tear the damn stadium down and build another one? You kidding me?"
However, Jones deciding to perhaps place television broadcast aesthetics ahead of practicality for Cowboys home games cost his squad a touchdown that could have turned the tide of Sunday's game in Dallas' favor.
"Everybody has got the same thing," Jones said. Every team that comes in here has the same issues. "I'm saying, the world knows where the sun is. You get to know that almost a year in advance. Someone asked me about the sun. What about the sun? Where's the moon?"