Cowboys at Panthers stock report: CeeDee Lamb, Marist Liufau have headline days

The Dallas Cowboys received stellar play from most of their roster during Sunday’s win.

The Dallas Cowboys took care of business on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers and did so with relative ease. It was a day in which 95% of things went right for America’s Team with the Cooper Rush fumble and big-time slip on defense at the end of the first half clearly in the remaining 5% of activity. You can’t be perfect for an entire day so we will offer a level of forgiveness.

Ultimately it was an impressive outing from a Cowboys team who seemed dazed and confused following last week’s heartbreaker of a loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. Credit to the Cowboys though, they rallied, fought and acted like the better team despite the Panthers being favorites in a game for the first time in two years.

As noted just about everything went right which means that just about all of the stocks we are handing out are in the up direction.

Here is our stock report following Sunday’s win at Carolina.

Stock Up: CeeDee Lamb

Once upon a time we used to lament how the Cowboys would not force feed the top receiving option on their team the way that other teams seemed to. Sunday seemed to be the kind of day we all wanted as CeeDee Lamb was targeted 13 times.

Notably, Lamb received a ton of work early in the game where the Cowboys were experiencing all sorts of success (even if the end of the first half went sideways). Lamb finished the first half with 105 receiving yards and a touchdown on amazing adjustment.

This was a game where Lamb put on the cape and took over to be the hero that the offense needed. You want to see that from the players who you devote serious money to and he lived up to that and then some.

Stock Up: Marist Liufau

Back during the days of the 2024 NFL Draft we wondered whether or not Marist Liufau would always be the player who the Cowboys took instead of a running back. That will not be the case.

Marist will be Marist and he is turning into a linebacker to be very excited about. Liufau jumped in for DeMarvion Overshown on Monday night and shined in that spot. Early on against the Panthers, Liufau popped the ball loose and really changed the game’s momentum.

The Cowboys are going to be without Overshown for all of 2025 in all likelihood, but appear to have someone who they can rely on in Marist. He has been a really bright spot on a defense full of them as of late. Shout out to Mike Zimmer for trusting him and putting him in spots to thrive.

Stock Up: Jourdan Lewis

We have said for years how Jourdan Lewis is one of the toughest players on the Cowboys. He shows up time and time again and always gives his all. That was the case once again on Sunday against the Panthers.

Aside from the deflection here, Lewis was continually in position to make plays against Carolina. He is as reliable as veterans get and his time with the Cowboys is among the most impressive.

Stock Up: Eric Kendricks

Kendricks benefited from the tip that Lewis had, but more than that he was a monster all over the field. We have seen Kendricks exemplify a clear understanding of Mike Zimmer’s defense throughout his season with this team and justify why the Cowboys wanted to bring him in to run it.

There is no question that Kendricks can play at a high level and on Sunday he was operating at peak capacity. What made it more impressive was that his status for the game was somewhat in doubt.

Stock Up: Marshawn Kneeland

The Cowboys have had to lean on Marshawn Kneeland in the absence of DeMarcus Lawrence and Sunday may have been his best hour. Kneeland blew up an end around early in the game that unfortunately still went for positive yardage for the Panthers. But we are seeing the signs of a legitimate player and someone who will hopefully anchor the defensive line for years to come. He also recovered a fumble on the day.

Stock Up: Osa Odighizuwa

This may give some pause, but that does not change how true it is: Osa Odighizuwa has been one of the best players on the Cowboys this season. Game in and game out Odighizuwa has shown up and wreaked havoc along the middle of the defensive line. He took over this game on the first play of the second half.

It is extremely likely that we are watching the final days of Odighizuwa in a Cowboys uniform as he is slated to become a free agent in the offseason. He was drafted in the same class as Micah Parsons so it is difficult for him to be the best defensive player in it, but if not for an all-world player that he shared that group with, he would have received far more praise over the last few years.

Stock Up: Cooper Rush

Early on I was tempted to place Rush in the static stock category because the fumble at the end of the first half was so bad. But he played his way out of it.

All told Rush threw three touchdowns, a career high for him. They all traveled more than 10 air yards which proves that he is understanding as he moves along here that he has to push past the line of comfort for himself in terms of aggression.

This was a thing of beauty.

The Cowboys are 3-3 this season under Rush and 8-4 overall across his career. He is without question a player who you can win football games with. He may have had the little oopsie against the Panthers, but for the most part this was one of the best games he has ever played in a Cowboys uniform.

Stock Up: Jalen Brooks

He caught his first career touchdown and it was a beauty. Look at this photo!

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

This was incredible concentration from a second-year player who has really found a little spot for himself despite being a seventh-round pick. It was doubly cool that he scored given that he is a former Gamecock and the game was in Charlotte.

Stock Up: Israel Mukuamu

The Cowboys have several South Carolina alum on their team as Israel Mukuamu (and Rico Dowdle) have that in common with Jalen Brooks. Mukuamu’s moment may not have been as epic as Brooks’, but that does not change that it happened.

We have yet to fully see Mukuamu develop into the defensive back that we all thought/hoped he might one day become. But Sunday belonged to him and he has an interception to prove it.

Static Stock: Jalen Tolbert

I’d like to start with the good and note that this was quite the touchdown from Jalen Tolbert.

But it is hard to ignore everything else when it comes to him. We are nearing the end of Tolbert’s third season with the Cowboys and the bright spots are not happening often enough.

The Cowboys have made the mistake of relying on Tolbert to take a leap both ahead of his rookie season in 2022 and before this one. On neither occasion did he become the player that they envisioned.

Sunday had this moment, but it also had a critical drop on third down on a pass that hit him in the hands. Hopefully the touchdown is a building block.