Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer rested a number of proven, key contributors Saturday night in the team’s preseason opener at the Los Angeles Rams. Players like three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott and two-time All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Players who don’t have anything to prove by lighting it up against backups.

However, Lamb still ended up being on the receiving end of one of the most violent hits of the night despite being in a hat, t-shirt and sweatpants on the sideline.

He ended up being penalized for “a foul against an official” that officially went down as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while watching Dallas’ offense. Lamb began to celebrate the Cowboys’ wide receiver Jonathan Mingo breaking wide open and beyond the Rams’ secondary defenders. Lamb’s celebration led him to the thickly painted, white portion of the sideline, where Lamb put his hand up and turned his back to everyone but Mingo flying downfield.

An official was sprinting down the thick white portion of the sideline to keep up with the play, and he was so locked in on the action that he didn’t notice Lamb until it was too late. Both of them went flying when the official smacked into Lamb’s back on the tail end of the sequence.

“It’s sideline interference. CeeDee Lamb was standing in the restricted white border area, which is our area to officiate the game. The official on the play was focused solely on doing his job, and he ran into CeeDee Lamb, who was standing in that restricted area,” referee Alex Moore said postgame via a pool report. “That’s what happened. And with that contact, it’s an automatic foul.”

Moore confirmed the situation between Lamb and the official isn’t a regular one, but Dallas’ current No. 88 isn’t the first player to find himself in this situation.

“It’s more of a rare situation. Normally, we don’t have anybody standing that deep into the restricted area, or that type of forceful contact,” Moore said. “So, it is a rare occurrence, but it does happen from time to time.”

Neither Schottenheimer nor Lamb argued the call, so all parties were able to move forward conflict-free. The only conflict Schottenheimer has going forward is with Lamb and his players committing 11 penalties in their 31-21 preseason-opening defeat. Dallas committed 243 penalties, the second-most in the NFL behind only the New York Jets and their 261, across the last two seasons since 2023 – the last two years of previous head coach Mike McCarthy’s tenure in which Schottenheimer served as the Cowboys’ non-playcalling offensive coordinator. Safe to say playing a more disciplined brand of football is a priority in Year 1 of the Schottenheimer era in 2025.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is dealing with a minor foot sprain and could miss a portion of training camp later this month to recover. Prescott was seen wearing a wearing a walking boot on vacation Thursday but the team is confident that he will be available for the start of the season.

According to NFL’s Ian Rapoport, Prescott received an MRI earlier this week and described the sprain as a “minor issue.” He was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when reports surfaced that he was wearing the boot, likely a precautionary measure while he takes time to heal.

Prescott’s public life has been eventful in recent months. Just last week, a judge in Texas dismissed a case accusing him of sexual assault after a two-month criminal investigation failed to find evidence of wrongdoing. The quarterback still has a countersuit for extortion ongoing.

While his legal proceedings continue, Prescott is also reportedly negotiating with the Cowboys about a potential contract extension as the team considers its future. The eight-year veteran has led Dallas to the playoffs five times, but the team has not even appeared in an NFC Championship game in that span.

The Cowboys have several long-term decisions to make, as the team must also negotiate new deals with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and defensive standout Micah Parsons soon, or else risk losing them to free agency. Dallas has built a team worthy of a dynasty but has not delivered, leaving them in a position where they will have to either buy in again or sacrifice talent in the near future.

After a resurgent 2023 regular season in which he threw for 4,516 yards, Prescott had a disastrous postseason showing against the Green Bay Packers, throwing two early interceptions and arguably costing Dallas the game. His performance in high-pressure situations has long been a point of contention, but he remains one of the most dynamic passers in the league and will demand a high asking price for any potential extension.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has been fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating the Covid-19 protocols for the unvaccinated, after he attended a Dallas Mavericks game last week sans mask.

Even before the Mavs game, Cooper was seen on the sideline at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, cheering on his alma mater Alabama against Cincinnati.

The receiver was with vaccinated teammates both times, so CeeDee Lamb won’t catch heat for the Mavs game and Trevon Diggs is safe for attending the Cotton Bowl.

League rules state that unvaccinated players can attend sports events but must sit in a luxury suite with a mask and no more than 10 people.

“You don’t want to get sick,” Cooper said. “This is the tournament. We train so hard in the offseason, OTAs, camp, to get to this point. We accomplished that goal thus far. We’re going to do everything we can do to not get sick. If that means isolation, then that’s what that means. Hopefully, we can isolate enough to not catch it.”

Cooper missed two games earlier this season after testing positive for Covid-19, and the Cowboys lost both (Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders). And, since he’s had COVID, Cooper would not fall in the daily testing protocol through Super Bowl LVI.

The 2020 season did not go as planned for the Dallas Cowboys. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 that derailed the team’s playoff hopes. Dallas was somehow able to rally without their Pro Bowl quarterback to almost win the division. However, their dreams were crushed in Week 17 when they lost to the Giants. Washington’s Week 17 victory clinched the Football Team the NFC East title. Last year was the second year in a row that the Cowboys missed the playoffs.

Now that Prescott is getting healthy and will be ready for the upcoming season, Dallas is looking to bounce back and win the NFC East. The two-time Pro Bowler has already proved that he can lead Dallas on offense. In 2019, the Cowboys had the best offense in the league, leading the league in total yards and yards per game. They were second in the league in passing yards. The Cowboys will be looking to replicate that same offense with a fully healthy Prescott.

The Cowboys also made some notable offseason changes to the coaching staff. They fired defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Nolan lasted only one season in Dallas, and under him, the Cowboys became one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Dan Quinn was brought in to replace Nolan. Quinn is known for being one of the engineers of the Seattle Seahawks‘ famed “Legion of Boom” defense. Quinn was the defensive coordinator during that era in Seattle and helped them become one of the best defensive teams in league history. The hiring of Quinn is a quintessential move made by the organization that will help improve the Cowboys’ defense.

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Dallas Cowboys Schedule:

• Week 1: Thu 09/09 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 3: Mon 09/27 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Carolina Panthers
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs New York Giants
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 at New England Patriots
• Week 7: BYE
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 at Minnesota Vikings
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 vs Denver Broncos 
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 vs Atlanta Falcons
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 at Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 12: Thu 11/25 vs Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 13: Thu 12/02 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at Washington Football Team
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 at New York Giants
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Washington Football Team
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 vs Arizona Cardinals 
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Philadelphia Eagles

NFC East: The Cowboys play in the weakest division in the league. Dallas almost won the division last season, but Washington clinched in the final week of the season. Dallas, New York and Washington have the best chances to win the division this season. However, with the return of Prescott and the addition of Quinn as the new defensive coordinator, the Cowboys might be the favorites to win the division. Not only do they have the best quarterback in the NFC East, but they also have stud playmakers in Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are expected to have the most explosive offense in the division.

Matchups: The Cowboys begin their season facing the defending Super Bowl champions in Tampa. They then travel to Los Angeles to face off with explosive quarterback Justin Herbert. Their schedule then becomes more favorable, as they four very beatable teams before their Week 7 bye. The toughest games on their schedule are against the Bucs, Saints, Chiefs and Washington.

Overall: The Cowboys will begin their season with the return of their two-time Pro Bowl quarterback leading the offense. A healthy Prescott elevates the team’s offense exponentially. Plus, the addition of Quinn will strengthen their defense. Dallas is poised to make a run at the postseason.

Prediction: The Cowboys will finish with a 10-7 record.

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On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys sat at the 17th overall pick in this year’s online, NFL Draft. America’s team was originally planning to choose a player to help out the secondary, or block up the inside with the linebackers. What they did not expect, was for standout wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to still be around. The stars ended up taking the gamble on the young wideout and decided to keep the defensive rebuild on hold for the time being. 

As most of the first round on Thursday consisted of QBs, offensive lineman, defensive tackles, and some wide receivers, it can only be assumed that defense will be the main focus of coaches and GM’s approaches on Friday going into the second and third rounds. 

Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones stated that Lamb was sixth on their draft board, but he ended up going after Alabama duo Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy.

The Cowboys may just have the classic no-defense dilemma in 2020-2021, as they have an extremely talented and young offensive core to keep their struggling defensive lineup afloat. There is no question about the abilities of star running back Ezekiel Elliot, QB Prescott and wideout Amari Cooper. Lamb adds another young route-runner poised to help take the Cowboys offense to new heights. 

Lamb posted 62 catches, 1,327 yards, and nine touchdowns in his junior campaign this past season, while averaging a stellar 21.4 yards per reception. 

Lamb said on a conference call after the pick that he is “very comfortable in the slot. I’m very versatile, and I can’t wait to be out there. I feel comfortable at all positions on the field.”

The young receiver continued his praise of the team and the star-studded offense, saying, “It’s huge just to a part of that. I just want to be a huge contributor to the Cowboys offense, and I can’t wait to be there.”

Lamb’s now-former coach Lincoln Riley chimed in to celebrate the wideout’s big day this Thursday. “I’m very thrilled for CeeDee and his family. Been there with him since day one and remember watching him when he was a sophomore in high school. The progression he’s made since then and the impact he made on the OU program and our university is just absolutely tremendous. Really excited for him here at the next level with the Cowboys. I think he’s got a great chance to have a long and very prosperous career.”

Lamb’s first round selection makes back-to-back years with Sooner wideouts going on the first day, marking back to Marquise Brown’s departure to the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. 

Lamb is fresh off one of the most incredible Sooner careers for a receiver in the programs history. Lamb owns two of the top seven receiving yardage seasons in school history and is third on the all-time list in career yards. Not to forget his number 2 spot on the all-time touchdown list at OU as well. 

After the Cowboys pick last night, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave his impression of the young receiver. Zierlein says of Lamb, “explosive, three-level playmaker and vital cog in one of the most potent offensive machines in college football over the last three seasons. 

Zierlein says Lamb’s “routes will need to become more efficient and crips to beat man-to-man coverage against NFL size and speed, but his ball skills and explosiveness with the ball in his hand should allow teams to scheme him into explosive opportunities right away.”

While unexpected,  Jones and new coach Mike McCarthy are more than excited about their luck on Thursday, and they plan to implement the young wideout into their already star-studded offensive arsenal.