After their bye week, the Cowboys return to action on Sunday against the rival San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. However, ahead of the matchup, a Cowboys icon publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s current schemes, prompting a response from a current Cowboys player.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, who led the franchise to a trio of Super Bowl victories, blasted the offensive schemes while also specifically calling out CeeDee Lamb, via Sports Illustrated.

“I think they run terrible routes,” Aikman said earlier in the week. “And I’ve thought that beyond this year. I think CeeDee (Lamb) has got to improve in his route running. As a quarterback, if you’re not certain where guys are going to be consistently, it’s hard to play the position. That’s what I see. I see guys lazy coming off the line of scrimmage.”

“Sometimes they run, usually if they do, it’s because they’re anticipating they’re going to get the football on that play, but if they’re not, they don’t,” he continued. “And it all ties together. I’m not impressed with that part of it.”

It wouldn’t be long before Lamb responded, but instead of engaging in a verbal jousting match with the franchise icon, he instead took accountability, via Athlon Sports.

“As a leader, I take it in,” Lamb said. “We got to work. I use it as a building block. If you say our routes are lazy, I’m going to go out here every week and show you my routes. Personally, I take that as constructive criticism.”

“If we can control it, let’s go work at it and get better at it. I’m a hard worker. So anything you say that I’m not doing, I’m going to show you that I am doing it.”

The Cowboys will take on the 49ers starting at 8:20 PM EST.

Troy Aikman’s comments also drew a response from Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy

While Lamb may have sounded more receptive to Aikman’s critiques, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy made it clear that it wasn’t anything that he was thinking about, via Athlon Sports.

“They don’t carry any weight with me because I watch all the tape, I get to go to the meetings, I’m at practice, I’m part of the games,” McCarthy said. “So I have a clear understanding of what and where. Troy’s statement in particular, I don’t agree with the word selection.”

The Cowboys can prove Aikman wrong by putting their best foot forward against the 49ers, who had defeated them two years straight in the postseasons of 2022 and 2023.