FRISCO, Texas — Extra extra, read all about it: CeeDee Lamb is all set to return for the Dallas Cowboys when they host the Washington Commanders this coming Sunday at AT&T Stadium, and Dak Prescott is all smiles hearing the news, and on the heels of George Pickens having a record-setting day that sets the stage for potential leveling up of the dynamic duo.
Prescott is on an MVP-caliber tear through the first six weeks and leads the No. 1 offense in the league, in several categories, averaging roughly 30 points per game, and the return of Lamb (and KaVontae Turpin) should instantly make the unit that much more difficult to scheme against.
"Yeah, a lot of excitement, obviously," the All-Pro quarterback said on Thursday. "And then just the last two days of practice, he looks good. He's ready to go. I saw him last week, and during the rehab, and probably could have [gone] then, but being careful.
"But he's ready to go. Looks great. It's gonna be fun."
The return comes not a moment too soon, the Cowboys falling to 2-3-1 after their loss to the Carolina Panthers and needing to defeat the Commanders, who currently sit at 3-3 on the season after failing against the same Chicago Bears that defeated the Cowboys in Week 3.
The winner of this matchup moves into second place in the NFC East approaching the midpoint of the season. Should the Cowboys lose, they'll instead fall to 2-4-1 before traveling to take on the Denver Broncos.
"We gotta win it," said Prescott. "We gotta win this game. We've got to get better in every aspect of this, and we've got to win in the fourth quarter. Some of these losses have come late, and we gotta expect to win. We gotta go do what's necessary and just win."
Channeling his inner Al Davis, Prescott understands what awaits him on Sunday afternoon, and not just the majestic sunlight waiting to wash over large portions of the field in Arlington.
The other looming threat is the combination of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt, two defensive minds who spent several seasons practicing against Prescott in Dallas, but who are now coordinating the defense of a bitter rival. But for as much as they know Prescott, he knows them.
"Yeah, I can't wait — it's exciting," the three-time Pro Bowler said. "I feel like for the first time in my career, I'm playing a game against a coordinator that's a friend, you know? Just knowing both of them … having the utmost respect for [Quinn]. I understand how they're running their program, and the success that they've had so early is not a surprise with the way that they do things."
It should create quite the chess match, and with the two teams splitting their 2024 series, each stealing a win on the other's home field with no shortage of jaw-dropping highlights, this will be one to watch.
"We've had a lot of back and forth [in the past] — whether it be in practice, training camps, two-minute drills — particularly with Joe Witt," said Prescott. "I'm pumped for this one."
