Dallas Cowboys star receiver CeeDee Lamb knows he’s in for a tough test this Sunday as he prepares to face the formidable Cleveland Browns defense.
The Browns are returning all the key pieces of their dominant, league-leading defense from last season. Myles Garrett remains a relentless threat off the edge, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah continues to be a disruptive force at linebacker, and their secondary ranks among the elite in the NFL. Lamb has nothing but respect for the Browns but is ready for the challenge.
“[The Browns are] nice, man,” Lamb said on Thursday, September 5. “They’re nice all around the board — edge rushers, linebackers, they’ve got fast DBs. I’m very familiar with a couple of them. I know them on a personal level, so it’s going to be fun out there. I’m ready to compete.”
The Browns will have to keep close tabs on Lamb. He led the league in receptions last season, snagging 135 passes for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lamb recently signed a $136 million extension on August 26 after missing the entire preseason. He’ll be eager to prove he’s worth the investment against the Browns.
Browns Looking Forward to Matchup With Lamb, Cowboys
Lamb’s preparation time has been limited, but it’s unlikely he’ll be on any pitch count against the Browns.
“It was a full contact, full padded practice and we’re game planning and installing different things, so I got to compete against the ones,” Lamb said. “That was fun.”
The Browns believe they have the best cornerback group in the league. The group includes three-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr. and Greg Newsome.
“One of the best receivers in the NFL and what I consider the best corner group in the NFL,” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “And you guys know, we play a lot of man-to-man, so, it’s going to be fun to watch those guys. You know, even if we’re man, it’s not always going to be no help. We’re going to have a little different way, whether we’re putting pressure on to try to help that way or we have leverage help or over the top help and things like that. It’s not going to be one person or a one-on-one most of the time, but it’s a great matchup and it’ll be exciting to watch.”
Browns Unlikely to Have Jedrick Wills Against Cowboys
On the offensive side of the ball, the Browns will have to worry about Micah Parsons — one of the premier defenders in the league. Cleveland offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. returned to practice on Wednesday but was idle on Thursday — a bad sign of his availability for the opener.
Wills has been the Browns’ starter at left tackle since being selected in the first round back in 2020. If he’s unable to go, either Jack Conklin and James Hudson III will get the call to defend Deshaun Watson’s blindside.
“Whoever’s out there, we’ve got our hands full, and we’ve got to make sure that we’re putting them in the right positions and trying to do things to make sure that we’re not stressing things as much as possible,” Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said.
The Browns enter the opener as a 2.5-point home favorite.
