FRISCO, Texas -- CeeDee Lamb took some tough hits on his shoulder over the course of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Some players would cave when faced with that pain, but it takes a lot to hold Lamb out of a game.
"It's more so pain, obviously the tolerance, range of motion is all there. I battled throughout the whole game…" Lamb said of how his shoulder is feeling this week. "Granted I didn't play the way I wanted to, but it is what it is, it's going to take a little more to get me out."
Lamb went on to finish the game against Atlanta despite the pain and has been steadily progressing this week en route to hopefully playing against Philadelphia at home on Sunday.
"I feel like I've taken a big step throughout the week in these last two of three days," Lamb said. "But I'm good, I was out there running today, I was getting right."
If you thought that Lamb would wear a shoulder brace of some sort on gameday, you'd be very mistaken.
"Nah, I don't do all that." Lamb said.
The toughness and grit that Lamb demonstrated is something he feels is reflected in the locker room despite Dallas' 3-5 start to the season. While they've got every reason to not believe with Dak Prescott and several other key contributors injured, the confidence hasn't dispersed at all.
"We still got to have that fighter's mentality, and I'm a firm believer in it," Lamb said. "Obviously you're going to get hit in the mouth at some point, it's all about how you respond."
The next opportunity to respond comes against an Eagles team that has won four games in a row, the Cowboys will need to rely on Cooper Rush at quarterback to try and break a three-game losing streak. Lamb was already working to get back on the same page with Prescott before he went down Sunday with a hamstring injury and is now working to build up that same rapport with Rush.
"We've connected, we've taken a lot of reps outside of practice just talking, communicating, getting on the same page," Lamb said. "I feel like that's very important with the situation that's coming up and I'm happy for him, we know what Coop can do, the confidence is still there."
Rush is 5-1 in six starts over the course of his career for the Cowboys, winning four crucial games for Dallas in 2022. The 2024 situation he's being thrust into is a completely different story, but the opportunity remains to write a similar tale.
"I know [Rush]'s ready to go out there and deliver," Lamb said. "I know he's prepared all week and can't wait to see it."
