Brutal Cowboys injury update gives little hope of causing NFC East chaos

It's safe to say that the 2024 season has not been kind to the Dallas Cowboys. They entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations even after a lackluster offseason, but Jerry Jones' has never looked close to one that could realistically contend, either on paper or on the field. Their 7-8 record so far shows just that.

The Cowboys' record being where it is with Week 17 of the NFL season officially here has the team eliminated from playoff contention. With that in mind, there's little for Dallas to play for.

While the playoffs are out of reach, the Cowboys do have an opportunity to cause a bit of chaos in the NFC East in the final two weeks of the regular season with matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders on the docket. Unfortunately, the team's latest injury update put a massive crimp in those plans.

As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports, star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been shut down for the final two games of the regular season due to a shoulder injury. The Cowboys were going to have trouble beating teams like the Eagles and Commanders even with Lamb, but without him, there's little hope of them making the end of the season interesting.

CeeDee Lamb's injury ruins glimmer of hope Cowboys fans had for team causing chaos in NFC East

Injuries aren't the only reason that the Cowboys are where they are right now, but they certainly haven't helped. Lamb joins guys like Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs, DeMarcus Lawrence and DeMarvion Overshown, who are all on IR nursing long-term injuries. Prescott has notably been sidelined since Week 9 with a hamstring injury and won't be returning this season.

Lamb hasn't had quite as productive of a season as he did in 2023, but he's still Dallas' best offensive playmaker by far. He ends his season with 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games played. Having those numbers when the Cowboys have had little semblance of a running game for much of the season, have had Jalen Tolbert as the team's WR2 and have had Prescott out for a large portion of the year is impressive.

Now, with Lamb out, how exactly is this Cowboys offense going to function? They're already stuck with backup quarterback Cooper Rush, and he's going to have to throw to the likes of Tolbert, Jake Ferguson and Brandin Cooks (if they're able to play) while hoping Rico Dowdle can continue his strong play operating out of the backfield.

The Cowboys have won four of their last five and have had a solid offense over that stretch, but that's with Lamb averaging over 80 yards per game in that span. Who is going to pick up the slack for Lamb's production? Not only does he put up numbers, but his presence opens the field up for his teammates.

Beating the Eagles and potentially impacting their chances of winning the NFC East would've been nice. Beating the Commanders and impacting their odds of making the playoffs would have, too. Winning one of those games would've been tough even with Lamb. Winning either of them without their best player, especially with their other injuries, is a huge ask.