The Dallas Cowboys are on the road on Monday night in what would normally be a marquee matchup, but one that has taken a dramatic turn here in 2026. That’s because, as bad as things have been over at The Star this season, they’ve been that much worse for the Eagles, who are not only playing with star quarterback Jalen Hurts out for the year after a dramatic and controversial case of blood clots, but also saw stalwart offensive lineman Lane Johnson retire midseason, and will be without top receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks on Monday. Put all that together, and CeeDee Lamb sees hope for the Cowboys.
After all, the Cowboys and the Eagles entered 2026 as the clear favorites to win the NFC East. With both at 2-4, it’s a wide open division.
CeeDee Lamb on Cowboys: ‘Why Not Us?’
Asked about that this week before the Eagles game, Pickens saw a Cowboys opportunity.
“We think about it just like that,” Lamb said, via the Cowboys site. “Anybody can win his division, so why not us? Every opportunity that we can get, we know what we’re messing up, and what are our areas of improvement — like playing complementary ball. I feel like, at the end of the day, we feel like we have the best roster, top down, and we’ve got to be able to play like that on Sundays or Mondays.”
Giants Are Leading the NFC East
Of course, the fly in the ointment here is that the New York Giants are 4-2-1, already carving out a decent lead over the Cowboys and the Eagles alike. The loser on Monday might well be down for the count. But Lamb says he and his teammates are keeping things positive despite some early strife for this group.
“For us, it’s obviously about being optimistic in this situation,” Lamb said. “We’re very fortunate that everybody else is playing pretty bad but, overall, everything is still in front of us. We still have an opportunity to do what we want to do, and that’s to get in the tournament.
“It starts on Monday, getting back into the win column, and I feel like that’s the most important thing.”
Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb Makes NFC East Statement Before Eagles Game