The Cowboys got more than a 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers on Thursday night. They also watched CeeDee Lamb leave the game looking limited by a lower-body issue, and for a few hours that raised obvious alarm around their top receiver.
By Friday morning, though, the early read was encouraging. On ESPN’s "SportsCenter," NFL insider Ian Rapoport said the concern around Lamb does not appear to be serious.
"My understanding is not a major injury for CeeDee Lamb," Rapoport said. "It is more of a quad bruise than anything else.
You saw him on the sideline (Thursday night). He was grimacing.
He was clearly in pain and did not finish the game, but he did come in and out of the game late."
Lamb’s night fit the way the Cowboys’ offense stalled around him. Dallas managed only one touchdown drive after the opening scripted series against a Buccaneers team that had been winless, and Lamb finished with just two catches for nine yards.
That was a far cry from what he did a week earlier, when he piled up 189 receiving yards on a career-high 17 receptions and scored the game-winning touchdown in Dallas’ 34-30 win over the Houston Texans on Oct. 4.
Even with Thursday’s rough outing, Lamb still enters the weekend as the NFL leader in receptions with 39, targets with 51 and receiving yards with 507, according to ESPN stats. He also had four touchdown catches through the first four weeks before the injury issue slowed him down against Tampa Bay.
The Cowboys at least have some breathing room before their next game. They do not play again until a "Sunday Night Football" matchup at the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 18, and the expectation is that Lamb should be back for that one.
"So CeeDee Lamb, dealing with pain, not considered to be major," Rapoport continued. "He should be able to return after the long weekend...and for the Cowboys' next game."
Green Bay, now 2-2, will host the rival Chicago Bears, who are 3-1, this Sunday. DraftKings Sportsbook had the Packers as a 1.5-point home underdog Friday morning.
In Other News...
Todd Bowles Had A Sideline Scare During Bucs' First Win
The Buccaneers first win of the season came with a brief sideline scare for Todd Bowles, who was caught up in the kind of post-play celebration that can get chaotic in a hurry. Late in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, Tampa Bay was erupting after an interception and a run by Buccaneers players when Bowles took a shot in the stomach from a helmet, turning a moment of relief into a few tense seconds on the sideline.
Bowles was seen grimacing and dropping to one knee before being reported as okay shortly after, which allowed the focus to shift back to a much-needed victory. The incident was part of the emotional release that followed the play, though reports did not identify which player made the celebratory contact. [Read more 🡒]
Dak Prescott's Postgame Frustration Has Cowboys Fans Debating This Team
The Cowboys left Thursday night with another loss, and the postgame mood around AT&T Stadium turned testy almost immediately. Dallas dropped to 2-3 after falling to the Buccaneers, and what should have been a straightforward reaction to a rough defeat quickly shifted when Dak Prescott took issue with a stadium workers comment about the result being embarrassing.
Prescott made clear he can live with blunt criticism, but he was bothered by the way the exchange unfolded after he noticed the comment. For Tampa Bay, it was the kind of road win that does more than add to the standings, because it also leaves the opponent sorting through frustration, accountability and a little bit of drama long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sideline Scare Added Tension To A Much-Needed Bucs Win
The Buccaneers finally got the result they needed, beating the Cowboys 24-16 for their first win of the season behind rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels. It was a much-needed lift for a team that had spent the first month looking for something to stabilize around, and getting to 1-4 at least gives Tampa Bay a little breathing room heading into next weeks matchup with the Steelers.
The win came with a brief scare on the sideline when Todd Bowles was seen down on one knee and appeared to be dealing with discomfort before getting back up and saying he would be okay. For a team already trying to find its footing, even a moment like that can add tension to an afternoon that should have been about relief, and it only underscored how much the Bucs needed a cleaner, calmer path to their first victory. [Read more 🡒]