'Cold-Blooded' Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb 'Should Be in MVP' Conversation, Dallas Argues
With all eyes in the NFL focused on AT&T Stadium for Saturday night's primetime battle between a pair of playoff teams, Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb turned in a statement performance.
Lamb caught 13 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, helping the Cowboys (11-5) take a dramatic 20-19 victory over the Detroit Lions (11-5), snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.
But good news didn't stop there for Lamb, who played his way into the Cowboys' history books, setting new single-season records with 122 receptions and 1,651 receiving yards.
The 24-year-old was chasing marks set by Cowboys great Michael Irvin, who caught 111 passes for 1,603 yards in 1995. Lamb said postgame he hadn't yet heard from Irvin but was sure he would.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy spoke with the same assurance, but in another aspect - he shared Lamb's performance against Detroit was "no doubt" one of the best he's ever seen.
“It was huge,” McCarthy said. “He’s so dynamic with the football. I think so much about receiver play and how these guys with the route running, the connection with Dak compared to in the past, those two guys have taken it to another level. Just a complete, complete receiver.”
Lofty praise emerged throughout the night from inside Dallas' locker room, be it from coaches or teammates - including those who play defensively.
Take, for instance, Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis, who snagged his first interception of the year Saturday while matching his season high with six tackles.
Lewis declared how proud he is of Lamb ... and endorsed the former 2019 first-round pick for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award.
“He should be in the MVP chat, man,” Lewis said. “He looks like it with 200 yards. He’s just amazing - he’s cold-blooded, makes play after play. Every single possession they have it, they know he’s going to get the ball and he just executes.
“It’s definitely amazing, it feels good to have that kind of safety blanket on the offense.”
Dec 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) runs with the ball during the second half against the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium.
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Lewis has seen Lamb grow up over the past five years, transforming from highly touted rookie to owner of the best statistical season by a receiver in Cowboys history.
Brandin Cooks didn't have a front-row seat at Lamb's progress for the first four years but has played an important role in his success this campaign.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said Cooks has shown Lamb how to prepare, how to get better and how to avoid letting satisfaction and complacency set in.
And after Lamb's star-studded showing Saturday night, Cooks took the role of a proud mentor.
“To be so young playing at a high level like this, to break a franchise record when we talk about some greats that played here, the guy's electric,” Cooks said. “Anytime he has the ball in his hands. he makes the offense better. I’d love to see him grow.
“My challenge to him is to keep it going the rest of the season and in that postseason.”
Dallas anticipates Lamb doing exactly that - largely because this is the player it knew he could be when he arrived, Prescott said.
But his ascension to this high of a level comes from his offseason work with Prescott, as the eighth-year signal caller stating nobody puts in more hours in the offseason than he and Lamb.
Prescott promised this won't change. After all, that's what the talented duo embodies - though Lamb earned another descriptive term after the game.
“Remarkable, that's who CeeDee Lamb is,” Prescott said. “The yards, yards after catch, getting open after the 2.3, beating man coverage, getting in the right spots in zones - he can do it all and he’s continuing to get better.
“He wants to get better, hungry to get better, hungry for the ball. Has one of the hungriest mindsets that I’ve been around in this game of football and it's fun.”
Prescott added he and Lamb have a similar mindset, wanting the ball in their hands with the game on the line. It's a different mentality that few others have, the former Mississippi State standout said.
This "dog" mindset has emerged multiple times this year, with Prescott pointing to Lamb's actions following losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins.
Prescott feels having a player with the confidence and passion of Lamb makes his job easy - and his proven production shows he's more than just talk.
“The guy thinks that he can win the game by himself, and that’s what you want,” Prescott said. “When you have a guy like that that has that much confidence and gets to show it and when he does, he steps up to the plate and answers it. It’s special.”
But Lamb's skill set goes far beyond his mentality.
Prescott singled out his athleticism, but the 6-2, 200-pound wideout also brings a physical style after the catch, at times resembling a running back and frequently breaking tackles.
There's also his commitment to getting on the same page with Prescott, learning where his signal caller wants to throw it and where he's expected to be on his routes.
Toss in his stellar work ethic, and Lamb's record-breaking night is only the beginning, Prescott said.
Lamb agrees - but did so with a humble, team-first approach.
“Surreal moment for me,” Lamb said. “Obviously shout out to my guys. We continue to work, continue to grow, and it showed. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without them and we're looking forward to keeping it going.”
In the age of receivers declaring themselves the best at the position, Lamb had a chance to do so after his statement showing in primetime.
Proving Prescott's point, he declined.
“I’m not answering that question,” Lamb said. “I’ll let everybody else answer that, I’m going to continue to keep working, that’s for sure and well keep stringing games together.”
Take a look at the MVP odds, and it's unlikely Lamb's name will be listed.
Prescott is near the top of most lists, while Cowboys outside linebacker Micah Parsons is often included further down. Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill is usually the lone receiver mentioned.
And so, despite Lewis' best pitch, Lamb's unlikely to earn any MVP votes ... but he's happy with his place in Cowboys history, happier to have a win beside it and happiest to know there's still much more to come.
“He’s special,” Prescott said. “He’s really just getting going, and I can tell you as long as I’m here, he’ll probably stack these records each and every year. This is only the beginning.”
