The Cowboys have a handful of players who are playing well, even in a down year for the team.
Don’t look now, but the Dallas Cowboys are on a two-game winning streak, and they clearly aren’t conceding to the 2024 season being over with just because their playoff chances aren’t that high. Say what you want to, but Dallas is fighting until the end, although it will likely end up with them not making the postseason, the grit and determination they’re showing in a season full of injuries should be respected.
The Cowboys will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. Their team may not be performing great as a whole, but quarterback Joe Burrow leads the NFL in passing yards and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is tops in receiving yards. It’s a great challenge for a Cowboys defense who have found a spark in the last few weeks, albeit against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Before that battle takes place, let’s look at three things we have learned about the Cowboys entering Week 14.
CeeDee Lamb is quietly having a productive season
In 2023, Lamb was arguably the best receiver in the league as he led the NFL in receptions and finished second in receiving yards. It hasn’t been as gaudy this year, but Lamb sits at 79 receptions for 880 yards, which rank second and fifth in their respective categories. Looking at his averages, he’s on pace for 112 receptions and around 1,250 yards. Mind you, he’s played four games without quarterback Dak Prescott, and the guy filling in, Cooper Rush, is limited as a passer. Also, Lamb has been dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to exit the Thanksgiving game against the Giants. All things considered, Lamb is having another good year. It just might not be a first-team All-Pro type of season like the previous.
Osa Odighizuwa is having his best year
Odighizuwa will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, making this a contract year. Well, the former third-round pick is playing like it with 33 tackles, three sacks, 40 pressures, and 27 hurries. That puts him on pace to have career-high numbers in all of those categories, which is exactly what you want to see from a guy in his fourth year because it shows he’s still trending upward in his play. While this is great to see, it also may put the Cowboys in a bind when it comes to a new deal. Odighizuwa isn’t a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro, but he’s a quality defensive tackle that can give a team tremendous value, and teams are going to be willing to give him a sizeable pay increase. So, it’ll be interesting to see what Dallas does with Odighizuwa in the offseason.
Carl Lawson has earned a second deal with the Cowboys
The Cowboys came into the season needing more edge rushers, and it got worse when the position got decimated with injuries. However, Lawson, who was signed to the practice squad in August, is having quite the productive season for the Cowboys. He’s played in 10 games with three starts and logged 280 snaps, which has resulted in four sacks for the year. Lawson also has 13 quarterback hits, 18 pressures, and eight hurries. He signed a one-year deal with Dallas, and he won’t cost a lot to bring back, which is right up the Cowboys alley. So, it would behoove them to seriously consider bringing Lawson back in 2025. Micah Parsons with maybe DeMarcus Lawrence, a healthy Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and Lawson would set the Cowboys up pretty nicely.
