Tag: 88

Cowboys’ Lamb says circus TD catch may not even be his best ever

CeeDee Lamb recalls his acrobatic scoring grab in the end zone against Minnesota and where it ranks among the tough catches of his career.

It was positively jaw-dropping when it happened live. But CeeDee Lamb’s gravity-defying touchdown grab in the second quarter of Dallas’s 31-28 win over Minnesota actually becomes more impressive with every slow-motion replay.

It’s the kind of moment that will be shown for years to come, showcasing the rookie’s absurd body control and off-the-charts concentration as he corkscrews Matrix-style through midair to make what could end up being the catch of the year across the NFL.

Many who have been around the game for a lifetime are already calling it one of the greatest catches they’ve seen anyone ever make. But Lamb isn’t even sure it’s the best catch he’s ever made.

“Obviously, I’m happy that I hung onto it, because it was definitely a hard grab. Probably number one,” Lamb shrugged in his postgame press conference, asked where the reception ranks in his career.

But then the wideout who has- in just ten games- already broken the Cowboys’ rookie receptions record, caught himself.

“Or two. I’m still trying to get over that UCLA- my sophomore year- one-handed catch that was out of bounds.”

Yes, that sideline snag from 2018 is definitely worth a rewind, too.

Lamb’s catch versus UCLA was declared- wrongly- to have come out of bounds. His twisting dive inches above the turf at U.S. Bank Stadium, though, resulted in a clear-cut catch and a bona fide all-time highlight.

But it sure wasn’t a gimme as the 2nd-and-goal-to-go play unfolded.

“When it left my hand, I wasn’t sure exactly,” quarterback Andy Dalton said of his throw. “I let it go before he kind of set his angle on the route. He took it a little flatter than I thought. For a guy like that to be able to make that kind of catch, you can see the talent that he has.”

Looking over his left shoulder, and with Dalton’s pass sailing toward his right shoulder, Lamb barrel-rolled his body in midair until he was horizontal- parallel with the ground. Now falling backward and staring straight up into the rafters, the 21-year-old fought to swing his hands around more than 180 degrees from where they had started in order to meet the pass.

“Honestly, in that position, it was very hard to see,” Lamb told reporters. “The lights from the stadium made it difficult. I ran my route; Andy gave me a great opportunity, a great ball to have the opportunity to make a catch. Gave the O-line their props just for giving Andy time. At the end of the day, you’ve got to win your individual battles, and that I did.”

Lamb’s circus grab only cemented what most around the Cowboys locker room have felt since before he was drafted.

“I’m so glad he’s a Dallas Cowboy,” coach Mike McCarthy said in his press conference, “and I think we’re all seeing the beginnings of a tremendous career.”

“CeeDee’s so good when the ball’s in the air,” Dalton echoed. “Him being able to make his body get in a position to make acrobatic catches like that. You saw everything that he’s done in college, you’ve seen some of the stuff he’s already been able to do since he’s been here. For me, I was just trying to lay it up there, let him go have a chance at it, and he made an unbelievable catch.”

What impresses running back Ezekiel Elliott even more is the heart Lamb shows on plays where he’s not the target.

“CeeDee, he was on one today,” Elliott pointed out after the Vikings game. “Running hard, trying to run guys over. He tried to run a D-lineman over, he tried to run a linebacker over, which you don’t see from a smaller guy. But he can also go out there and catch the ball. You had the crazy catch in the red zone. That was big. He’s a hell of a player, he’s young, he’s going to have a hell of a career.”

Whoever wears the jersey number that Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, and Dez Bryant made famous in Dallas is expected to carry on that big-play mentality. But one notices something different about this latest to wear the fabled double-eights.

Whether it’s his shout-out to what the offensive linemen did on his game-changing play, or the way he called the poorly-aimed ball from his quarterback “a great opportunity,” or the way he’s not even sure his ridiculous catch was the best he’s ever made, Lamb often speaks with a soft-spoken humility that’s refreshing coming from a No. 88.

“I made the most of my opportunity. I saw the ball that was in the air; he gave me a shot, and I definitely didn’t want it to hit the ground.”

His recollection of the moment may be full of understatement. But there’s no overstating how magnificent Lamb’s catch really was.

And just as with Pearson’s miracle “Hail Mary” catch versus Minnesota in 1975, Cowboys fans will be rewinding and dissecting this No. 88’s incredible touchdown grab against the Vikings for many years to come.

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Look: Ty Montgomery debuts his signature No. 88 in black and gold

The New Orleans Saints signed Ty Montgomery, a versatile running back/wide receiver who has worn No. 88 with the Packers, Ravens, and Jets.

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The New Orleans Saints made a surprising late-spring addition last week by signing free agent running back/wide receiver Ty Montgomery, the former Green Bay Packers playmaker who most recently spent time with the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets.

While Montgomery’s schematic fit and path to making the roster — much less earning snaps during games — is fascinating, the real story here is which jersey number he’ll be wearing. Having initially played solely at wideout, Montgomery wore No. 88 with the Packers even after he began bulking up and handling carries between the tackles.

He held onto that number with each of his next two teams, and he’ll continue to throw off observers with it in New Orleans. Montgomery announced on his official Twitter account that he would use No. 88 now that he’s playing with the Saints, which was confirmed on the official team roster.

He included an edited photo to give fans of an idea of what he’ll look like in black and gold, which we’ve embedded below:

Jokes aside, there is a benefit to Montgomery going with such an unusual number for a running back (like his previous teams, the Saints will probably skirt around NFL jersey restrictions by designating him a “RB/WR” on filings with the league office). Defensive coordinators commonly tool their subpackages to counter opposing personnel groupings.

By letting Montgomery wear No. 88, the Saints are going to force teams to think a little harder about whether to field an extra linebacker or defensive back. That narrows the margin for error considering how quickly those decisions must be made during games. It’s a small edge, but those can’t be discounted in the hyper-competitive NFL.

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News: Cowboys ‘playing chicken’ with Prescott, coronavirus roster impact, Daniel Jones on Romo diet

Also, a rival studies the Romo era on tape, Dallas’s positional strengths, betting Ezekiel Elliott’s TD total, and a scheduling oddity.

On May 13 the news of the day should be stories from rookie minicamp that just recently wrapped up at The Star in Frisco, with an eye toward the OTAs about to get underway. Instead, Cowboys Nation is still stuck in football limbo: obsessing over the starting quarterback’s contract, predicting the outcomes of the scheduled games, and wondering how the players on paper will actually play on the field… when they get there… eventually.

For now, a Cowboys icon wades into the Dak Deal Debate, we take a peek at which players might see their Cowboys tenure cut short by the financial realities of the coronavirus, and several positional groups go under the microscope. There are guesses on wins and losses, and an interesting prop bet on how many times Zeke will get fed a touchdown. We’re talking jersey sales, 88 artwork, an undrafted gem, crazy consistency stats, and a scheduling quirk with the Cowboys chasing bird-beating history. Oh, and an NFC East rival remaking themselves in Dallas’s image has even taken to studying Tony Romo on tape. Plenty to keep the football fires burning in this edition of News and Notes.

Emmitt Smith on Dak Prescott’s contract negotiation: No time to be ‘playing chicken’ :: 105.3 The Fan

The all-time rushing king weighs in on his former employer’s will-they-or-won’t-they dance with quarterback Dak Prescott. Emmitt Smith says he is not surprised it’s come to this, but he’s also not concerned that a deal won’t get done.

6 Cowboys in danger of release due to Covid-19 impact on NFL :: Cowboys Wire

When the business of pro football starts back up, will all of your favorite Cowboys still be on the team? Our own K.D. Drummond explains why Tyrone Crawford, Jourdan Lewis and an offensive staple are among the players who might not be guaranteed a roster spot in the post-pandemic uncertainty.

Dallas Cowboys 2020 schedule: Way-too-early win/loss game predictions :: Inside The Star

Brain Martin predicts the entire 2020 season for the Dallas Cowboys. Spoiler alert: it’s NOT another 8-8 finish.

Looking for the strongest position group on the Cowboys roster :: Blogging The Boys

The Cowboys added key additions on both sides of the ball in free agency and the NFL Draft. But which position benefited the most?

Mailbag: Changes to the offense this year? :: The Mothership

Assuming some West Coast additions from new head coach Mike McCarthy and given what Kellen Moore did in his first season as offensive coordinator, will the Cowboys offense see a total overhaul in philosophy?

Giants News: Offense with Jason Garrett will be similar to Cowboys’ last season :: Bleacher Report

Based on revelations from a recent interview with Giants head coach Joe Judge, the 2020 New York Giants may give the Cowboys a very familiar look…

Daniel Jones has talked to Tony Romo, watched Cowboys film :: ProFootballTalk

…so it’s perhaps no surprise that the current quarterback for Big Blue has spent some time picking the brain of Garrett’s former quarterback in Big D and watching game tape from the Romo era.

One point that best encapsulates why the Dallas Cowboys should pay Dak Prescott :: Blogging The Boys

Dak Prescott was a top-10 quarterback in the NFL last season in multiple categories. The Dallas Cowboys will not find another top-10 quarterback if they pass on signing Prescott. Sign Dak Prescott.

SI Insider: Evaluating the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback situation :: Sports Illustrated

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated takes a deeper look into the QB room of the Dallas Cowboys. With a championship window only a few years long, the Cowboys have insured themselves at the most important position on the field.

Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb jersey outselling every other non-QB rookie :: Cowboys Wire

The stud rookie wide receiver has jumped his fellow draft mates. The No. 88 jersey worn by a Dallas Cowboy is a hot seller yet again.

Mailbag: Are the Cowboys set at tight end? :: The Mothership

Cowboys staff writers Nick Eatman and Jonny Auping answer questions regarding the Cowboys tight end group and the upcoming schedule Dallas is set to face.

2020 NFL player prop predictions: An over or under for all 32 teams :: ESPN

ESPN’s Todd Archer predicts better than ten rushing touchdowns this season for Ezekiel Elliott.

2020 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys get undrafted steal in Aaron Parker :: NFL Mocks

His name wasn’t called on draft weekend, but Cowboys fans shouldn’t sleep on the wide receiver from Rhode Island. Opposing defenses shouldn’t, either.

ESPN analyst ethers co-worker in Prescott-Wentz televised undressing :: Cowboys Wire

Prescott-or-Wentz was a thing again. In case you missed it, watch ESPN’s Dan Orlovksy take off his best jacket and carefully roll up his shirt sleeves… just to get pantsed with the facts.

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Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb jersey outselling every other non-QB rookie

Dallas’s first-round pick trails only Tua Tagovailoa, Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Rob Gronkowski, and Justin Herbert in jersey sales.

All those who thought Jerry Jones didn’t know what he was doing by wanting CeeDee Lamb to wear No. 88 can apparently rest easy now. The jersey is selling quite well, despite the fact that the Oklahoma rookie hasn’t even officially worn it yet.

According to official sales figures, the navy blue version of Lamb’s 88 is the 14th-best selling jersey in the league at the moment, the highest placement of any 2020 rookie who doesn’t play quarterback, and better than any current non-quarterback not named Rob Gronkowski.

Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa tops the list, with his aqua No. 1 at No. 1 on the sales chart; his white jersey sits in second place. Different-colored iterations of Tom Brady’s Buccaneers jersey rank third through sixth. Gronkowski’s new pewter and red Tampa Bay jerseys fall seventh and ninth, respectively, with Joe Burrow’s black No. 9 in between at eighth. Another Brady jersey sits in tenth place, Burrow’s orange Cincinnati jersey is 11th, Justin Herbert’s powder blue No. 10 is 12th, and a women’s version of Brady’s jersey fill out the slots above Lamb.

Denver’s Jerry Jeudy is the only other rookie to appear in the top 20.

Fans have evidently flocked to the newest incarnation of one of the most storied jersey numbers in Cowboys history. Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin, and Dez Bryant all wore No. 88 for the club previously.

Team owner Jerry Jones made it clear shortly after drafting Lamb that he hoped the team’s first-round pick would wear the famed number, partly as an homage to the Dallas legends who wore it previously.  A recently-departed college teammate of Jones named Jerry Lamb had also worn No. 88 while the two attended Arkansas.

Lamb, who wore No. 2 as well as No. 9 while playing for the Sooners, had originally said on Dallas radio that he would wear No. 10 with the Cowboys.

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Crazy 88s: CeeDee Lamb will apparently join Cowboys WR succession after all

Following his selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, newest Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb stated that he wanted to wear No. 10 as a professional. After sporting both No. 9 and most recently No. 2 as a member of the Oklahoma …

Following his selection in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, newest Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb stated that he wanted to wear No. 10 as a professional. After sporting both No. 9 and most recently No. 2 as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners, Lamb was prepared to sport the jersey number of the player he is most often compared to, DeAndre Hopkins, who sported it during his tenure with the Houston Texans.

Jerry Jones, however, wanted to dip Lamb in the anointing oil that is held sacred to Cowboys history. Jones suggested following the draft that he’d like Lamb to don the famous No. 88, reserved for those receiving torch bearers who are supposed to carry on the tradiion of the franchise. It appears Jones, despite not being able to have an in-person meeting with Lamb to spin one of his infamous sell jobs, must have been convincing over the phone or Zoom. Lamb jerseys are hitting the market, and they are in line with Dallas tradition.

The Cowboys announced jersey numbers for five of their seven picks earlier in the week, but Lamb was conspicuously absent from the list as things were still up in the air.

88 is the jersey number of the chosen one; the wide receiver anointed as the franchise cross bearer. Drew Pearson was the original 88 and is in the Ring of Honor. That legacy was turned over to Michael Irvin who forged a Hall of Fame career while wearing it.

During a down time for the franchise the club tried to put it on second-round pick Antonio Bryant, but he was just getting the printing press ready for the last first-round receiver Dallas drafted before this year, Dez Bryant.  Bryant is the club’s all-time touchdown reception leader.

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Lamb makes jersey decision after stunning offer from Cowboys

The new Cowboys WR will wear 10 in Dallas, but only after owner Jerry Jones offered him one of the most famous numbers in team history.

CeeDee Lamb knows the expectations are high for him coming to Dallas. But the wideout who just turned 21 years old a few weeks ago was catapulted into another whole eschelon of rarefied air in his first conversation with his new employers at America’s Team.

The Cowboys may have been surprised when Lamb fell to them with the 17th overall pick. What was likely downright jaw-dropping for longtime fans of the team may have been the offer the team made to their new pass-catching prospect.

Lamb announced on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan Thursday night that, after wearing No. 2 in college (and even 9 for a while), he would wear the number 10 as a Cowboy. But Jerry Jones first offered 88, to a player he hadn’t even formally interviewed prior to drafting him.

Dallas doesn’t retire jersey numbers, but 88 is special in Cowboys history. It was Michael Irvin’s number when the team won three Super Bowls. It belonged to Drew Pearson, who hauled in the first-ever Hail Mary touchdown pass from Roger Staubach. Most recently, Dez Bryant wore 88; fans who longed for a reunion with the free agent receiver assumed it would be his if he returned.

Jones offered the vaunted jersey to Lamb, but the owner’s offer may have had less to do with the Cowboys who have worn it than with one of Jones’s college ball connections.

Jones said, according to RJ Ochoa:

“I recently lost a great friend. One of my very best, might have been my best. I played ball with him at Arkansas. He was number 88. His name was Jerry Lamb. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. We couldn’t have won a national championship without him. And he was a wonderful player.

“And so when we were- this is a little drama from our perspective- when we were all sitting there and had said our piece, and then we said, ‘Okay, what’s it going to be?’ I said, ‘In honor of my great friend that just passed this year, we’re going to have his namesake come on here and wear old Number 88. Just like Michael and Dez and those guys.’ And we’ve got us a wide receiver. And let me tell you one thing: if he’s got the competes and heart of that Jerry Lamb, he’ll be bad to the bone.”

Tavon Austin wore No. 10 most recently for the Cowboys, but it’s not a number with much history in Dallas. Maybe Lamb will be the one to start a tradition of excellence with it.

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