Cowboys finally get CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks involved in win over Chargers
After a few frustrating weeks for the Cowboys’ top receivers, CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks finally got a chance to shine against the Chargers on Monday Night Football. Lamb broke 100 receiving yards for the second time this season while Cooks snagged his first touchdown as a Cowboy as Dallas took down L.A. 20-17.
“That was part of the plan,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “I talked about what was part of the plan going into this game, knowing that we’d get some matchups with those guys, understanding how they’re going to play CeeDee, clouding his side, when they were going to give in to Cooks outside some one-on-ones, and we took advantage of them.”
Lamb, a 2022 Pro Bowler, posted 117 yards on seven receptions, bringing his 2023 total up to 34 catches, 475 yards and one touchdown.
“Coming out here and being able to provide for my team and contribute to the win is probably the best thing for me,” Lamb said, via DallasCowboys.com. “I feel like I’m definitely an impactful player, so for us to get this going early and to get me the ball early, it was very important.”
A lot has been made of the Cowboys’ inability to utilize Brandin Cooks after they acquired him from the Texans in the offseason. The veteran with six 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career, had four catches for a season-high 36 yards on Monday night.
His touchdown was also Cooks’ first of the season and gave Dallas a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter.
“It was a great throw and a throw also that [Prescott] put trust in me to go out there and go make,” Cooks said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity and coming up with the big play to show he can continue to trust me.”
Lamb ‘very impressed’ with Prescott’s performance
Coming off his worst game against the 49ers, Prescott finished the win against L.A. with 312 total yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also took five sacks but led the team in rushing. His 272 passing yards marked a season-high for the eighth-year vet.
“I’m very impressed, of course,” Lamb said of Prescott’s performance. “We were much more focused. As a team, we do our part to make him look as good as he should be.”
With the Cowboys now sitting at 4-2 heading into a bye week, Lamb is much more content than he was a week ago.
“This is a great test for us going into the bye to show the resilience of this team and to lock in,” he said. “We have a very resilient group. We want to play with the brothers next to us.”
After the bye, Dallas hosts the L.A. Rams before traveling to face divisional rival Philadelphia to begin November.