FRISCO, Texas — If one had to name the biggest reasons for the Dallas Cowboys’ demise in their snake-bitten 5-8 start to the 2024 season, injuries would be at or near the top of the list.
Quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring), right guard Zack Martin (ankle) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (knee) are all out for the season. Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) hasn’t played since Week 4, cornerback DaRon Bland (foot stress fracture) didn’t make his 2024 season debut until Week 12 and edge rusher Micah Parsons (high ankle sprain) missed four games.
That carnage leaves 2023 first-team All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as one of the few Cowboys stars to actually play in all 13 of Dallas’ games thus far this season. However, it hasn’t been a cakewalk because the 25-year-old Lamb has been dealing with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder since a Week 9 game at the Atlanta Falcons when he fell on the shoulder three times.
Lamb also exited the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game in Week 13 against the New York Giants late in the third quarter and didn’t return to action after aggravating the injury. On Monday, he finished the entire contest against the Cincinnati Bengals without much of an issue, catching six of his seven targets for 93 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown catch on a fourth-and-1 on the game’s opening drive.
“CeeDee is an impact player. He’s one of the best players in the game,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. “Just where he lines up creates opportunities for others. CeeDee’s a very diligent guy as far as how he prepares for games. He’s a good example that way for our guys. He’s a huge part of our football team.”
After all the bumps and bruises sustained this year, Lamb is feeling relatively healthy entering Sunday.
“Just a shoulder. Other than that, [I’m] pretty healthy,” Lamb said Thursday when asked about his injuries this season.
He claims he doesn’t really feel the pain from the AC joint sprain thanks to adrenaline.
“Not really because adrenaline gets going, and then I’m trying to make plays for my guys. I’m not really so much worried about being hurt,” Lamb said. “Obviously, I know what’s going on leading up into it, and as far as the preparation that I need going on throughout the week, but I get out there, man. I’m thinking about winning a football game.”
Each week Lamb weighs the pros and cons of being out on the field with his nagging shoulder injury, but each time through 13 games, he’s felt that his presence would help more than it would hinder Dallas’ pursuit of victory.
“It’s understanding your pain tolerance,” Lamb said. “Obviously, if it’s impeding what you do as far as contributing to the team and contributing to winning, then I suggest you sit out because I don’t want you to embarrass yourself. Granted, the competitiveness and everything as far as pride goes, that you want to be out there. But if it’s not going be positive for anybody, or you’re not going to be able to be who you are out there on the field, don’t risk it. If you have a chance of going out there and having the opportunity of withstanding those injuries or just withstanding the burden of the injury and still being able to play at a high level, then you’re fine.”
Not only has Lamb not been a detriment, but he’s still producing at an All-Pro caliber level as one of the league’s best at his position despite Prescott being sidelined since the second half of their Week 9 matchup with the Falcons. His 85 receptions are the third most in the NFL in 2024, and this season marks his third in a row with at least 85 catches, the longest such streak in Cowboys history. Both wide receiver Dez Bryant, Lamb’s No. 88 predecessor, and tight end Jason Witten each put together two consecutive such seasons in a row.
“Obviously, on my body, making sure I’m able to move all my intangibles, to say the least at the rate, that I’ve been pre-shoulder injury,” Lamb said. “So, just making sure that I’m out there for those guys. Leading in any way that I can. Obviously, if it’s not physical, it’s in the mental aspect of the game. So in the [training] room, I’m getting right. Other than that as far as communication goes and playing, they know that I’m out there and when I’m out there, I’m battling. Just exerting energy and them feeding off me is probably the best thing that we have going, but I love that. Just being a stand up [leader] with the guys, [I’ve] come a long way.”
|
Targets |
131 |
1st |
|
Receptions |
85* |
3rd |
|
Receiving Yards |
973 |
3rd |
* Three consecutive seasons with at least 85 catches (Most in Cowboys history)
Lamb has been helped in 2024 by his work from this past offseason, adding 15 pounds of muscle during his contract holdout, and he’s seen the results of those gains in his broken tackle numbers. His career high in tackles avoided on receptions is 20, which was set last season during his 2023 First-Team All-Pro campaign in which he led the NFL with 135 catches. Through just 13 games this season, Lamb already has 17 tackles avoided on receptions, well on pace to set a new career high.
“Been able to break a lot of tackles,” Lamb said. “Feels good, feels stronger. I feel more endured post-broken tackle. So I feel like everything I’ve done in the offseason is definitely just showing up this season. Granted, it’s not in the greatest explosion of plays, but it’s definitely in there in the nick of time.”
It’s also fair to ask if Lamb playing through such a persistent injury like an AC joint sprain could cause a long-term negative effect on his career going forward. He doesn’t feel that’s the case, saying he he won’t need offseason surgery to fix the issue. Rest will be taken in the offseason. So what’s the urgency to remain on the football field?
“Being able to win the game regardless,” Lamb said. “At the end of the day, we still got to win the game. That’s the motivation.”
He refuses to elaborate much on Dallas’ narrow playoff chances — 0.3%, according to SportsLine simulation models — but he knows nothing else matters if the Cowboys don’t win each of their final four games. That’s something the Cowboys have a 2% chance of accomplishing, per SportsLine simulation models.
“We got to win out,” Lamb said. “So in order for anything else to happen, all the help that we need, we still have to do our part. … We just need to focus on one game at a time. We don’t need to worry about anything else at this point. We need everybody to hone in on their job and handle their responsibilities and then everything else, just fall into place.”
Lamb claims McCarthy and his coaching staff’s future in Dallas being up in the air while being on their final season of their coaching contracts in 2024 isn’t something he’s thinking about as much as the sidelined Prescott these days. That being said, he still feels for and plays hard for McCarthy, the only NFL head coach he’s ever known since being selected in 17th overall in the McCarthy’s first season in Dallas.
“Obviously having him here and having him since I’ve been here means a lot to me,” Lamb said. “With that, I don’t really think much of it but going out there and again trying to play as hard as I can. I’m obviously putting myself out there for the benefit of the team and of course, myself. I love to compete, but it’s bigger than me.”
