CeeDee Lamb’s frustration was evident when he reacted negatively after not being targeted, culminating in a heated exchange on the Cowboys’ sideline with Dak Prescott.

Although Lamb has a history of showing poor body language, his outburst last Sunday was unusual.

Expectations were high for Lamb’s return on Thursday night, and he quickly became a focal point, especially with the Giants missing two cornerbacks.

Prescott ensured Lamb was involved early, leading to a standout moment in the second quarter.

He connected with Lamb on a sideline pass, allowing him to dodge two Giants defenders and sprint into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown.

Full of confidence, Lamb glanced back at the defender as he crossed the goal line, signaling that he had outpaced him.

However, the celebration was cut short when the officials penalized Lamb for taunting.

The reason behind the taunting call was unclear, as he didn’t do anything overtly disrespectful like waving goodbye to the defender.

Even Amazon Prime commentators Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit expressed their disbelief over the penalty, and former player J.J. Watt shared their shock.

Despite the penalty, kicker Brandon Aubrey successfully converted the 48-yard extra point.

This incident highlights how officiating crews sometimes overshadow the game itself during prime-time matchups.

Earlier in the game, the Cowboys had generally benefited from favorable officiating, as the refs penalized Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger for an offensive facemask—a call that should have gone the other way, which ultimately hurt New York’s chances in the red zone.

Meanwhile, a holding penalty against Cowboys left tackle Tyler Guyton was picked up, which would have negated a touchdown by Rico Dowdle.Lamb’s taunting penalty stands out as potentially the worst call of the first half.

There are clear instances when taunting should be penalized, such as when a player steps over another after a tackle or engages in face-to-face confrontations.

In contrast, simply turning around before scoring a touchdown is a far less egregious act compared to many other taunting penalties seen in the league over the years.