ARLINGTON, TX — History has been made for the Dallas Cowboys, and this time it's CeeDee Lamb etching his name, again, alongside the immortals of the franchise. Lamb entered the Week 17 matchup against the Detroit Lions with an opportunity to take sole ownership of the all-time franchise record for most receptions in a single season.
The First-Team All-Pro wideout stood tall at 109 receptions, only two catches behind Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin (111), but no more — adding more lore to the 88 Club in the process.
Lamb now stands alone atop that mountain.
"Remarkable," said quarterback Dak Prescott. "That's who CeeDee Lamb is. Tonight, what a great opportunity for him to have the game that he had — understanding that it was coming in this game with records on the line — and I wasn't aware about them until you guys told me, but I assured you he'd get that. The yards, yards after catch, getting open after the 2.3 [seconds], beating man coverage, getting into the right spots in zones, he can do it all."
On the night, Lamb finished with a career-high in receptions as well (13) along with 227 receiving yards and a touchdown.
"He's continuing to get better, wants to get better and is hungry for the ball," Prescott added. "He has one of the hungriest mindsets I've ever been around in this game of football. … He makes my job easy. He's special and just really getting going. I can tell you that as long as I'm here, he's going to continue to stack these records each and every year.
"This is only the beginning."
It's a Mount Rushmore that has Lamb's face etched on it twice:
- CeeDee Lamb - 122 (2023)*
- Michael Irvin - 111 (1995)
- Jason Witten - 110 (2012)
- CeeDee Lamb - 107 (2022)
This latest achievement adds to what's already become a career season for the former first-round pick, who had amassed 1,424 yards and nine receiving touchdowns along with 101 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns before taking the field against the Lions — career-high marks in all four categories (as was his catch rate of 72.2%).
"I told you I'd enjoy it more if we won," said Lamb. "... It's a surreal moment for me. Shout out to my guys, we continue to work, continue to build and continue to grow. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without them. We're looking forward to keeping it going."
That's not the only thing Lamb did on Saturday, also passing Irvin's mark for most receiving yards by a player in Cowboys' history. The previous mark was 1,603 set by Irvin in 1995, which bested Irvin's own record of 1,523 yards set in 1991.
Here's how that category now lays out and, by the way, that Irvin guy was kind of special:
- CeeDee Lamb - 1,671 (2023)*
- Michael Irvin - 1,603 (1995)
- Michael Irvin - 1,523 (1991)
- Michael Irvin - 1,396 (1992)
*denotes ongoing
Earlier this season, he became the first player in NFL history to record at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards in three consecutive games — a mark that landed his gloves and game towel in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on November 17.
"Gosh, what doesn't [impress me about Lamb]?" asked wideout Brandin Cooks. "To be so young and playing at a high level like this, and to break a franchise record like this — [and considering] some of the guys that have played here. The guy is electric and anytime he has the ball in his hands he makes our offense better. I love the growth.
"My challenge to him is to keep it going, in the rest of the regular season and in postseason."
Lamb walked into the 2023 season with a chip on his shoulder, determined to prove he's not only the definitive WR1 for the Cowboys, but that he's also in the upper echelon of wideouts around the league.
"I'm there," he said in September. "I'll show you."
Needless to say, he's done exactly that, and with the Cowboys having clinched a playoff berth and one more game remaining in the regular season, he'll have plenty of opportunities to continue putting on the show that he promised and then subsequently delivered.
