It isn’t controversial to call the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense bad. Rude, maybe. But objectively true. Last season, the Cowboys ranked dead last in scoring defense and third-worst in total defense.
Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “When you have the challenges we had last year, there’s no place to go but up on the defensive side of the ball. Had we played a lick of defense last year, we would’ve had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run.”
Ross Tucker asked Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb if it was “tough not to get frustrated” by his defense giving up gobs of points. Lamb’s response was All-Pro level.
“Well, for me, brother, I was in the Big 12,” Lamb said. “I mean to say that with all due respect. My guys know I love ’em. But I’m used to putting up these kinds of numbers. Offensively, okay, if our defense gets a stop, we look at it, like, ‘Oh, my God, yes, we can run away with this game.’ If they don’t, we still gotta go score. We gotta score to win the game anyway.”
Lamb said, “As a receiver on the offensive side of the ball, I’m looking to run up the score anyway. So, if they do match us, OK, cool. We still have to do this because that’s who we are. I feel like our identity on pretty much every offense I’ve been on, I feel like, just scoring points is everything.”
Lamb played three years at Oklahoma before the university left the Big 12 to join the SEC, beginning with the 2024 season. Historically, Big 12 teams had a reputation for fielding the weakest defenses among Power Five conferences. In 2019, Lamb led the Big 12 in touchdowns (14) and yards per reception (21.4), so he means it when he says he’s used to posting big numbers.
Dallas drafted Lamb at No. 17 overall in 2020. He posted 935 yards and five touchdowns on 74 catches as a rookie, and he has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in every season since. His biggest stat campaign came in 2023, when his NFL-high 135 catches resulted in 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, Lamb recorded 75 catches for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games for the 7-9-1 Cowboys.
Dallas possesses two first-round draft picks - No. 12 and No. 20 overall, the latter from trading away All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons last summer - in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23. It would be shocking if the Cowboys don’t use those picks on restoring the defense.
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