CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys sprints after making a catch against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football game on Saturday, December 30, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Michael Ainsworth/AP Photo
ARLINGTON — How about those Cowboys, in the words of Jimmy Johnson?
No, let’s play that game instead!
Dallas kept its home winning streak going by defeating a tenacious Detroit Lions squad, 20-19.
After scoring a touchdown on the game’s final drive, the Lions had a chance to win. Detroit went for the two-point conversion three times, owing to penalties on back-to-back plays by the Lions and Dallas, but a Goff incompletion clinched the victory for Dallas.
Lamb was anticipated to break Michael Irvin’s single-season receiving record. He simply needed three people to do it.
But a team high in receiving yards? That would require a lot more effort. In the instance of Saturday, it was the longest play in NFL history.
Prescott escaped a potential safety in his own end zone, stepped up, and sent a rainbow throw to Lamb. Lamb ran into the end zone for a 92-yard touchdown catch as a Lions defender dropped into coverage. It was the longest offensive play of Prescott’s and Lamb’s careers, as well as the longest of the season.
It was also a watershed moment for a Cowboys offense that had struggled.
The first two catches of Lamb’s night suggested that the third would be outstanding as well. Lamb’s 31-yard catch and run and 92-yard touchdown put him one catch away from breaking the record.
In the second quarter, Lamb appeared to not only break the record, but also score a crucial touchdown for the Cowboys. Instead, he went for the end zone, but the ball slipped through his hands and into the back of the end zone, resulting in a touchback. A score would have put the Cowboys up 14-3. It instead kept the game close.
The Cowboys defense replied with a fourth-down stop near the end zone, but the Lions eventually regained the lead on a David Montgomery score.
