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After the disaster that was the Dallas Cowboys' game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, did not catch a touchdown because he was dazzled by the sun coming through one of the sides of the stadium in the afternoon games, there have been calls for curtains to be put up in the games that take place at that time.
Jerry Jones has been clear about the design of AT&T Stadium: he wanted it to feel like an outdoor game, even though it's indoors. This was achieved by positioning the stadium so the setting sun would shine through the end zone facing west, making the sunset part of the atmosphere. However, this stance is being challenged. While Jones may view it as a tactical edge, it's not necessarily an advantage for the Cowboys. In fact, it's a factor that impacts both teams equally.
What many fans and players do not understand is that the AT&T Stadium has had this problem since it was built, and even Jones himself has said that it is one of the advantages of playing at home. In other words, the issue of the sun dazzling players is not new. And so said former Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who currently holds the same position in Philadelphia.
"Yeah, in general for everyone, yeah," Moore say when asked if the sunlight posed a challenge. Moore pointed out that "stadiums all have different circumstances," and in Dallas, the sun is definitely a factor. He acknowledged that the sun can make parts of the field challenging to navigate, especially in the first quarter when the light is strongest.
Sunlight in the end zone no joke
Moore shared how he adapted to the conditions while calling plays, particularly in the red zone during the first quarter. "We had it in the first quarter, towards the end of the first quarter in the red zone. And then [in the] second quarter, we were going the other way." This shift meant that by the second quarter, the sun was more directly in the eyes of players, especially those looking back from the east end zone.
This sun issue raises a bigger point about strategy. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy may have made a misstep by choosing to receive the opening kickoff after winning the coin toss. Given the timing of the sun, McCarthy should have deferred, forcing the Eagles to take the ball and choose the west side of the field, where the sun wouldn't be as much of a problem later in the game.
When the Cowboys did face the sun, adjustments should have been made-especially for players like CeeDee Lamb, who could have struggled to track the ball with the blinding glare. At the end of the day, it's not just about the design of the stadium-it's about how both teams adapt to its quirks.