Cowboys overreactions, reality checks after Week 8: Dallas goes perfect at home, Tyron Smith can't be trusted

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys' return home to AT&T Stadium was exactly what they needed to win their second game in a row against a Los Angeles NFL team. They squeaked past the Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California 20-17 in Week 6, and in Week 8, following their Week 7 bye, the Cowboys routed the Rams 43-20 for their 11th consecutive home win, extending the NFL's longest active home winning streak. 

Here is a look at some of the Cowboys' biggest storylines from a wire-to-wire victory at AT&T Stadium on Sunday. 

The Cowboys are going undefeated at home 

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Within the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium, Dallas has been downright dominant. The Cowboys own the longest active home winning streak in the NFL with 11 straight wins, and they have won all three of their home games in 2023 by a combined score of 111-33. The Cowboys have defeated each of their home opponents by 20 or more points, making them the only team in the NFL in the last 15 years to win each of their first three at home by 20 or more.   

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The 11 consecutive home game victories is Dallas' longest streak since it also won 11 in a row spanning from 1991-1992, the latter season being the first of its three Super Bowl championship years in the 1990s. 

That begs the question: Will the Dallas Cowboys go undefeated at home this season? The Cowboys have five home games remaining in 2023: Week 10 vs. the 2-6 New York Giants, Week 12 vs. the 3-5 Washington Commanders, Week 13 vs. the 5-2 Seattle Seahawks, Week 14 vs. the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles and Week 17 vs. the 5-2 Detroit Lions. The Eagles, Seahawks and Lions are currently the top three teams in the NFC standings right now. Given those three teams are the Cowboys' last three home foes, it's unlikely they can run the table at AT&T Stadium in 2023. It is possible. Sure. Likely, probably not. 

Lamb can make a run at his first First Team All-Pro nod

Overreaction or reality: Reality

CeeDee Lamb totaled career highs across the board against the Rams with 12 catches for 158 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. His big day propelled him to 308 catches in his four-year career, which makes him the quickest player in franchise history to hit 300 career receptions, doing so in 56 career games, as well as solidifying himself as the second-fastest Cowboy to reach 4,000 career receiving yards, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Hayes, who did so in 52 games. 

"Very satisfying," Lamb said of his performance postgame on Sunday. "It proves my ability. It proves that I trusted myself, and it proves that my team trusted me, so I appreciate it for them and love that for me. We have to keep building. ... Not necessarily surprised because that's what we're looking for week in and week out. That's how we should play and that's just more of a stepping stone to what's to come."

Lamb, 24, was primed for a peak performance from kickoff on Sunday, hauling in nine catches for 122 receiving yards and both touchdowns in the first half against Los Angeles. That included catching all three of his targets for 26 yards on the opening drive, a possession that was capped with an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott, who finished with 304 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 25-of-31 passing. 

"I don't know that we've had a more dominant role played by a receiver," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said postgame on Sunday. "I can't remember who because he was in on everything we were trying to do on every series. Obviously, you've seen him play at that level. We've all seen him play at that level, but I don't think he's had so many opportunities [Lamb's 14 targets are tied for his second most in a game in his career] as he had out there today. It was a phenomenal game for him, career game for him."

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At the moment, Lamb's 633 receiving yards rank as the eighth most in the NFL while his receiving touchdowns total (three, tied for 20th) and receptions (46, tied for 13th) rank outside the top 10 in the NFL. 

So why the optimism Lamb could make a run at his first First Team All-Pro nod? In Weeks 6 and 8, the dates of the Cowboys' last two games, Lamb has 19 catches, tied with Bills Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs and Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen for the most in the NFL. His 275 receiving yards in Weeks 6 and 8 are tied with reigning First Team All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins for the most in the NFL. Should Lamb produce like Hill and Diggs consistently going forward, he could make a strong charge for one of the three wide receiver openings on the 2023 edition of the exclusive club. 

Cooks is set to break out

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Cowboys trading for Brandin Cooks this past offseason was supposed to atone for their horrendous sin of trading away four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amar Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for late-round draft pick compensation. Entering Week 6, he had only nine catches for 73 yards on 19 targets. Against the two Los Angeles teams, the Chargers in Week 6 and the Rams in Week 8, Cooks has produced more yards (85) and more receiving touchdowns (two) on two fewer catches (seven). His 25-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter on Sunday occurred because Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy approved of Cooks' play-call suggestion, highlighting the trust he has already in Year 1 with a new team. That's the type of belief that indicates bigger and better performances are on the horizon. 

"He is a guy that has done everything right from Day 1," Prescott said of Cooks postgame on Sunday. "He'll start reaping the benefits of the work that he's put into this, what he means to this team. He's a guy that has played a lot of ball and has a lot of experience. That last touchdown, I honestly didn't know the conversation until afterwards, but that's a play that he went to Mike and said, 'I guarantee this will work' because of past plays running something similar and complimentary from that play that allowed us to take a shot on that defensive back. That's a guy that has a lot of knowledge and experience, communicates well. That touchdown was huge. He did exactly what he said he would do. He promised Mike, 'Hey, if you call this, it's going to be good.' From the time that play came in, I knew it was going to be good. It was a play we've had success at going way back to the spring. It might have been the first one I threw him in training camp or even before then. The guys does everything the right way. He's going to continue to do that and all the rest of the stuff just comes." 

The Cowboys can't trust Tyron Smith to stay healthy in 2023 

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Following the Week 7 bye, the entire Cowboys team practiced on Wednesday. Then, eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith, who is 32, popped up on the Thursday and Friday practice report with a neck injury. He was then ruled out on Sunday despite belief during the week that Dallas would have its preferred starting offensive line of Tyron Smith (LT), Tyler Smith (LG), Tyler Biadasz (C), Zack Martin (RG) and Terence Steele (RT) for the third game in a row. 

"We all thought Tyron was going to go until the last second and probably better part of valor was to not play him today," Jerry Jones said postgame on Sunday. "The Super Bowl might have been a different story, but we didn't want him to get another stinger out there on top of what he has had. He'll work through this as he always has throughout his career."

Smith even spent a portion of his pregame routine in full uniform, not the actions of someone who thought they were going to be inactive. 

"It was a medical decision," McCarthy said postgame when asked about Smith not playing against the Rams on Sunday. "He worked out, and the medical staff decided that he wasn't ready to go. Tyron was suited up and one of the first guys here today. He was ready to go, but after going through the examination, the medical staff decided he was not ready."

Even though Smith appeared to be healthy this week, it's clear Dallas truly won't know what his status is for any given week until game day going forward. The toughest part about the Cowboys' uncertainty at left tackle is they are now in a precarious position with their depth at that spot. Smith's fill-in on Sunday, Chuma Edoga, left Sunday's game with an ankle injury and did not return. The team will run tests on him tomorrow to determine the extent of his injuries. That means Dallas is down to fifth-round rookie offensive lineman Asim Richards. He has played in four games this season and started none. Richards was inactive in Weeks 5 and 6 prior to Sunday's game. It would be wise for the Cowboys to look into trade options at the position prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.