FRISCO, Texas -- Do the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) need literal perfection out of four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott and five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to win games in 2026? Yes, the question sounds facetious, but the stark contrast in their play versus their defense makes it worth asking. This season, Dallas possesses the No. 7 scoring offense (29.3 points per game) and the No. 25 scoring defense (27.3 points per game).
Since Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones traded away All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers a week before the start of the 2025 season, Dallas' defense has allowed an NFL-worst 29.7 points per game. This season, Prescott and Lamb are connecting at a near-perfect rate while both performing like top-five players at their respective positions. Prescott ranks eighth in the NFL in completion percentage (69.5%), tied fifth in passing touchdowns (7), ninth in passer rating (107.2) and fifth in expected points added (EPA) per dropback (0.28).
Lamb stands sixth in the league in catches (20), fourth in receiving yards (309) and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (3). Lamb had just three receiving touchdowns in the entirety of the 2025 season after suffering a high ankle sprain in a Week 3 loss at the Chicago Bears, but feeling healthy once again, No. 88 is back to full strength. "He is just playing lights out.
He is playing really, really confident," Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams said of Lamb on Thursday. "I love what we're getting right now. He's been outstanding." However, it's still not nearly enough.
The Cowboys are 1-2, thanks in large part to their crumbling defense. But they may have found a way to fix it. Prescott and Lamb have regained the form they lost over the last few seasons.
At their 2023 peak, Lamb led the league in catches (135) and receiving first downs (87), and Prescott led the NFL in passing touchdowns (36). This season, Pro Football Focus charts Dallas' dynamic duo as connecting on 20 of their 25 targets for 309 yards (the third-most between a duo in 2026), three passing touchdowns and no interceptions for an NFL-best 157.8 passer rating. A perfect passer rating is 158.3.
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