Dallas Cowboys stock report: CeeDee Lamb and Marist Liufau are ahead

The Dallas Cowboys took care of business relatively easily on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. It was a day where 95% of things went well for America’s Team, with the Cooper Rush fumble and the big defensive gaffe at the end of the first half evident in the remaining 5% of activity. You can’t be perfect for a whole day, so we offer you a measure of forgiveness.

Ultimately, it was an impressive performance from a Cowboys team that appeared dazed and confused after last week’s heartbreaking loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, kudos to the Cowboys, who pulled together, fought and acted like the better team, even though the Panthers were the favorites in a game for the first time in two years.

As mentioned above, almost everything has been going well, which means that almost all of the stocks we have issued are trending upwards.

Here’s our stock report after Sunday’s win in Carolina.

Stock up: CeeDee lamb

There was once a time when we complained that the Cowboys weren’t force-feeding their team’s top receiving option like other teams seemed to be doing. Sunday seemed to be the day we all wanted as CeeDee Lamb was targeted 13 times.

What’s notable is that Lamb got a ton of work early in the game, in which the Cowboys had all sorts of success (even if the end of the first half went awry). Lamb finished the first half with 105 receiving yards and a touchdown after an amazing adjustment.

This was a game where Lamb put on the cape and took on the role of the hero the offense needed. That’s what you want to see from the players you spend a lot of money on, and he lived up to that and more.

Stock up: Marist Liufau

Back in the days of the 2024 NFL Draft, we wondered if Marist Liufau would always be the player the Cowboys chose instead of a running back. That won’t be the case.

Marist will remain Marist and he is developing into a linebacker to be very excited about. Liufau filled in for DeMarvion Overshown on Monday night and shined in that spot. At the start of the game against the Panthers, Liufau released the ball, changing the momentum of the game.

The Cowboys will most likely go all of 2025 without an overshown, but appear to have someone they can rely on in Marist. He’s been a real bright spot lately in a defense full of players like that. Praise Mike Zimmer for trusting him and allowing him to thrive.

Stock up: Jourdan Lewis

We’ve said for years that Jourdan Lewis is one of the Cowboys’ toughest players. He keeps showing up and always does his best. That was the case again on Sunday against the Panthers.

Distractions aside, Lewis was always able to make plays against Carolina. He’s as dependable as veterans get, and his time with the Cowboys was one of the most impressive.

Stock up: Eric Kendricks

Kendricks benefited from the tip Lewis had, but more than that, he was a monster all over the field. We saw Kendricks demonstrate a clear understanding of Mike Zimmer’s defense throughout his season with this team and why the Cowboys wanted him to lead the team.

There’s no question that Kendricks can play at a high level, and he was on top of his game on Sunday. What made it even more impressive was that his status for the game was somewhat in doubt.

Stock up: Marshawn Kneeland

The Cowboys had to rely on Marshawn Kneeland in DeMarcus Lawrence’s absence, and Sunday may have been his finest hour. Kneeland provided an end-around early in the game, which unfortunately still had a positive impact on the Panthers’ yardage. But we are seeing the signs of a legitimate player and someone who will hopefully anchor the defensive line for years to come. He also fixed a bug that day.

Add: Osa Odighizuwa

That may be cause for concern, but it doesn’t change the truth: Osa Odighizuwa has been one of the Cowboys’ best players this season. Game start and outcome Odighizuwa showed up and wreaked havoc in the middle of the defensive line. He took over this game on the first play of the second half.

It’s extremely likely that we’ll be watching Odighizuwa’s final days in a Cowboys uniform, as he’s expected to become a free agent in the offseason. He was drafted in the same class as Micah Parsons, so it’s difficult for him to be the best defensive player in that class, but if there wasn’t an All-World player he shared that group with, he would have by far received more praise last few years.

Stock up: Cooper Rush

Early on, I was tempted to put Rush in the static stock category because of how bad the fumble was at the end of the first half. But he played his way out of it.

All told, Rush threw three touchdowns, a career high for him. They have all traveled more than 10 meters of flight, proving that on his way here he understands that he has to go beyond the comfort limit for himself when it comes to aggression.

That was something beautiful.

The Cowboys are 3-3 under Rush this season and 8-4 in his entire career. He is without question a player with whom you can win football games. He may have had a little trouble against the Panthers, but overall this was one of the best games he’s ever played in a Cowboys uniform.

Stock up: Jalen Brooks

He caught his first career touchdown and it was a thing of beauty. Check out this photo!

That was incredible focus from a second-year player who really found a small spot for himself despite being a seventh-round pick. It was doubly cool that he scored since he is a former Gamecock and the game was in Charlotte.

Stock up: Israel Mukuamu

The Cowboys have several South Carolina graduates on their team, as Israel Mukuamu (and Rico Dowdle) have that in common with Jalen Brooks. Mukuamu’s moment may not have been as epic as Brooks’, but that doesn’t change the fact that it happened.

We haven’t done it yet full Watch Mukuamu develop into the defender we all thought/hoped he could one day become. But Sunday was his and he has an interception to prove it.

Static Stock: Jalen Tolbert

I want to start with the good and note that this was quite a touchdown from Jalen Tolbert.

But it’s hard to ignore everything else when it comes to him. We’re nearing the end of Tolbert’s third season with the Cowboys and the bright spots don’t happen often enough.

The Cowboys made the mistake of relying on Tolbert to make a jump both before his rookie season in 2022 and this one. In neither case did he become the player they envisioned.

Sunday had that moment, but there was also a critical drop on third down on a pass that hit his hands. Hopefully the touchdown is a building block.

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