The Dallas Cowboys have reason to have confidence in quite a few areas on this roster of a team that's been a playoff entrant for three straight seasons. Arguably at the top of the list is CeeDee Lamb. And yet ...
The Cleveland Browns are so confident in their talent base at the cornerback position that their coaching staff thinks they might actually have the edge in the duel against the newly-minted $34 million APY wideout.
As the Cowboys ready for the season-opener in Cleveland on Sunday, they've got Lamb under contract and out of mothballs and ready to get going against the Browns' cornerbacks.
Lamb ended up leading the NFL in targets and receptions in 2023, credentials that speak volumes. But Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz believes that Cleveland has - did he really say it? - a good matchup.
"I like our matchups," Schwartz said. "This is NFL football, man. This is awesome. One of the best receivers in the NFL and what I consider the best corner group in the NFL. We play a lot of man-to-man, so, it's going to be fun to watch those guys."
Obviously, the coach isn't trying to be incendiary. He's not saying anything negative. This is fairly harmless in the "bulletin-board material'' realm. Oh, and then there is this: He might be right.
Led by first-round picks Greg Newsome II and Denzel Ward, the Browns' cornerback group was a strength in 2023. ... and plans to be the same here."I think we're very special," Newsome said. "Then we got a lot of guys with a lot of unique talents. [Martin Emerson's] length. We got Ward's quickness. Me, I'm kind of in the middle. You got Cam Mitchell's speed, Myles Harden's feet and everybody. So, I just think we got a great room where a lot of guys can do a lot of things."
Will this group be able to contain Lamb? And if so, does quarterback Dak Prescott have other options that will allow the Cowboys to survive?
Both teams "like our matchups'' here. But only one is going to end up being right.
