The Dallas Cowboys got smashed in the mouth every which way in their Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears. All three phases were subpar at best and embarrassing at worst.
Unfortunately, to paraphrase the famous hit by Smashmouth, the hits keep coming and they don’t stop coming. And, while not the worst news they could’ve received, the diagnosis of star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s injury isn’t exactly ideal either.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Lamb’s injury from Sunday was a high-ankle sprain, an injury that usually comes with a recovery of around four to six weeks.
Again, believe it or not, this isn’t the worst news. No ligaments were torn, no bones were broken, and the team believes it’s a mild version of the injury. But, the team will still be without its superstar pass catcher for at least a couple games.
In the meantime, the Cowboys are likely better prepared to handle such an absence than they have been in the past. George Pickens is the best second option they’ve had since Amari Cooper wore the star on his helmet.
Of course, the Steelers experienced Pickens as their number one guy last season and decided to pass on riding that ride again this season. However, for a relatively short stretch, he’ll suffice.
Beyond Pickens, it’s likely that we see more Ryan Flournoy than we have up to this point in his career. After playing 152 offensive snaps last season, he’s recorded 24 so far this year. Expect the big bodied former sixth round pick to have a larger role starting in Week 4.
Jalen Tolbert is also likely to have an increased role, although he’s been so underwhelming to this point in his career, never recording a PFF grade higher than 60.7 in his career, that Dallas might be more inclined to see what they have Flournoy.
Jake Ferguson is also still around and healthy and, while his 13 catches on Sunday were impressive, they only went for 82 yards. He’s a fine safety blanket but is hardly the type of explosive threat that is missing with Lamb.
It’s also entirely possible that the Cowboys rededicate themselves to the ground game. Javonte Williams has been fantastic to start the year, making it beyond confusing that, despite an early fumble, he only received 10 carries all day on Sunday.
In a micro sense, Dallas will likely be ok without Lamb for a few weeks. If his absence extends beyond three or four weeks, perhaps the Cowboys look to add outside help.
In the macro sense, it bears wondering if it’s even worth it to add outside help to a team that, beyond the injuries, hasn’t instilled confidence in their ability to compete at a high level.