By just about any statistical measure you could find, the Dallas Cowboys were one of, if not the best offenses in the NFL during the 2023 regular season. The Cowboys finished first in the following categories: Points (29.9 per game), 1st downs (385), passing touchdowns (36), score percentage (50.3 percent), and average time of possession (3:11). Additionally, the Cowboys committed the 2nd fewest turnovers, threw for the 3rd-most passing yards, and were 6th in yards per play.
There are plenty of individuals who deserve a sliver of the credit for such a prolific regular season. Dak Prescott played the best football of his career and made good on his promise to throw fewer than 10 interceptions. In his first year as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer pushed all of the right buttons. And despite not having the breakout season many fantasy football owners expected him to have, Tony Pollard was better suited to be the Cowboys lead back than Ezekiel Elliott had the previous few seasons — welcome back to Dallas, Zeke! And so long, Tony!
But perhaps the best player on the Cowboys offense is the one who deserves the most credit here. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was the Cowboys' 1st round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and ever since then all he's done is rapidly move himself up the list of some of the greatest offensive weapons in the long, storied history of the Dallas Cowboys. And according to Lamb's Cowboys teammate Brandin Cooks, the 25-year-old has already ascended to the tippy-top of the list of the league's best wide receivers.
CeeDee Lamb's 2023 season
Considering the season that CeeDee Lamb had last year, it's very good timing for Cooks to make a statement like this one. Last season, Lamb put together one of the greatest seasons we've ever seen from a wide receiver, finishing with 135 receptions (6th all-time in a single season), 1,749 yards (9th all-time), and 12 touchdowns. For his efforts, Lamb was named an All-Pro and finished third in the voting for Offensive Player of the Year.
Now admittedly, we've seen spectacular seasons before from players who were unable to ever reach those heights again. But Lamb is not just a one-year wonder. Consider the fact that Lamb's last two seasons, where he's hauled in 242 receptions for 3,108 yards and 21 touchdowns, have propelled him into the illustrious (and just now conceived) 200-3,000-20 Club. That's 200 receptions, 3,000 yards, 20 touchdowns in a two-season span. The only other eight players who have received entry into this club are Jerry Rice, Calvin Johnson, Antonio Brown, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Marvin Harrison Sr., Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt. Not bad company, huh?
Lamb will be making nearly $18 million in 2024, but is in line and awaiting what could potentially be one of the richest contracts a wide receiver has ever signed in the NFL. And if the last two seasons have taught us anything, it's when the Cowboys eventually sign Lamb to that lucrative deal, it will be well-deserved.