NOTES: Cowboys’ Lamb continues ascent to top WR

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb continued his sizzling start to the season on Sunday against Washington.

The Cowboys’ top offensive target had six catches on eight targets and a touchdown in the 25-10 win over the Commanders at AT&T Stadium.

“It was a good offensive day,” Lamb said.

After not being targeted in the first two drives of the game, Lamb helped the Cowboys offense spring to life with back-to-back-to-back grabs on lasers from quarterback Cooper Rush to push the Cowboys 56 yards down the field to the Washington 31. Dallas would eventually settle for three and a 6-0 lead.

“I am ready for whatever,” Lamb said about the sequence. “If it happens three times, if it happens four times, I am always available. Yeah, we can keep that rolling.”

After just 29 yards receiving in the Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, Lamb has put up games of 75 yards against the Bengals, 87 yards against the Giants, and 97 yards against the Commanders; all wins for the Cowboys.

His 16.2 yards per catch average in the win over Washington on Sunday was his best of the season, thanks in part to the return of Gallup and the attention he commands from the defense.

The 97 yards Lamb finished with on Sunday afternoon was the most he has had since putting up 112 yards in a Week 8 road win over Minnesota in 2021, a span of 13 games.

Peters, O-line continuing to gel

The Cowboys continue to ramp up offensive lineman Jason Peters’ play count slowly.

After playing 14 snaps at right guard against the Giants in Week 3, Peters was on the field in the same spot for 21 plays, or a third of the offensive snaps against Washington on Sunday.

Connor McGovern returned from an ankle injury suffered in Week 1 and played the other 40 snaps at left guard in the victory.

“It was great to have him back out there,” McCarthy said about McGovern, the team’s starter coming out of the preseason. “He looked like he was in rhythm and had a solid game.”

Center Tyler Biadasz, left tackle Tyler Smith and right tackle Terrence Steele played every snap, while right guard Zack Martin missed just two of the 61 snaps with a leg injury in the second quarter.

“I feel alright,” Martin said about his ankle after Sunday’s win over Washington. “A little tweak. After a couple of minutes, it felt better. So, it’ll be a little sore, but I’ll be alright.”

Biadasz, Smith, and Steele have played every offensive snap this season.

Diggs finds way to another pick

Trevon Diggs continues to come up with big plays for the defense.

The third-year corner snatched his second interception of the season on Sunday, when Carson Wentz tried to go deep late in the first half.

“I just feel like the ball is coming to me,” Diggs said. “It’s one ball, there’s two of us and one of us has to end up with it. That is how I look at it.”

Diggs was also credited with three passes defensed in the win, while also just missing a second interception in the second half.

“I thought Trevon was big (Sunday),” McCarthy said. “He has picked up right where he left off.”

With his two picks this season, Diggs now has 16 in his 32-game career, which is 17th all-time on the Cowboys interceptions list. He is now one behind Ron Fellows for 16^th on the list and 36 behind leader Mel Renfroe, with a slew of Cowboys’ legends in between.

Health improving daily

The Cowboys continue to get healthier.

Back in the lineup on Sunday was Michael Gallup, injured late last season, Connor McGovern, hurt in Week 1, and tight end Dalton Schultz, injured in Week 2.

That leaves just safety Jayron Kearse and quarterback Dak Prescott as Week 1 starters that are on the injured list, but not for long.

Kearse, who hurt his knee against Cincinnati, was questionable and a limited participant in practice last week. If he can get through a practice this week, he should be a go on Sunday against the Rams in Los Angeles.

Prescott, who had surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand the day after the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay, still has swelling in the area, a concern for head coach Mike McCarthy. A return to the lineup is unlikely until Prescott can work with the team in the days leading up to the game.

“I definitely want to see Dak go through a full week of practice before he returns,” the Cowboys head coach said. “We aren’t talking about being out a week or two here, this is going to be a month. So, definitely, I would like to see him go through a week (of practice).”

All in all, a good place to be if you’re the Cowboys heading into a stretch of games against the Super Bowl champion Rams and NFC East leading Eagles over the next two weeks.

Cowboys battle through poor field position

The Cowboys battled a long field for most of Sunday against Washington.

On 13 drives, the Cowboys average starting field position was over their own 26-yard line.

The Cowboys started three drives from their own 25, all coming after Washington kick offs.

Dallas was continually pinned deep all afternoon, as Washington punter Tress Way used a 45-yard average to pin the Cowboys inside their own 20 five times.

“Field position was really a struggle the whole day, really until we started putting some pressure on their punter, we were able to get it flipped there,” McCarthy said. “Field position was a challenge all day. But for our defense to hold them to the one touchdown was huge.”

Dallas finally used a DaRon Bland interception to flip the field late in the fourth quarter, taking over at the Washington 20.

The Cowboys followed that up with a final defensive stop of the Commanders offense on fourth and two, to take over at the Washington 44 for their final drive of the game.