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Award season is in the air around the NFL, as players have one final chance this weekend to stake their claim for individual honors.
CeeDee Lamb is in the mix to win Offensive Player of the Year, second in receiving yards (1,651) and touchdown catches (10), while breaking numerous franchise and league records throughout the year.
The Dallas Cowboys star receiver, though, isn’t interested in making his case for the award; instead, he is choosing to speak up for the enemy.
Building Up Your Opponent
Lamb and the Cowboys have more important things to consider heading into Sunday’s final regular season encounter than individual awards.
Dallas officially clinches the NFC East crown and a first-round bye with a win over the Washington Commanders.
Lamb is talking about the job Christian McCaffrey has done in 2023.
Earlier this week, Lamb referred to the San Francisco 49ers running back and his “workhorse role”.
Via Calvin Watkins on X Lamb had this to say about McCaffrey’s chances of winning Offensive Player of the Year.
“Christian McCaffrey, he deserves it he been doing a great job.”
“Obviously I just seen he’s sitting out right now, the way he’s been playing 2,000 yards with like 20 something touchdowns.”
McCaffrey leads the NFL in rushing (1,459) with 14 touchdowns on the ground and a 5.4 yard average per carry.
According to SI Sportsbook, McCaffrey has the best odds of winning the award at -357, with Tyreek Hill next at +238 and then Lamb at +1743.
While Lamb is saying everything you expect, he also said that he’d be happy to win.
Gamesmanship
For numerous reasons, Lamb making the case for McCaffrey winning is the right thing to do.
Many athletes tend to talk themselves down when a reporter mentions an award or whether they’re the best at something.
There are exceptions like Richard Sherman after the Seahawks’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the 2013 NFC Champions Game, but I equate that to the heat of the moment.
Even if the Cowboys win on Sunday and get that first-round bye, they aren’t the team to beat come playoff time.
That distinction will go to the San Francisco 49ers, who will be the #1 seed in the NFC with home-field advantage.
The Niners smoked the Cowboys in San Fran earlier this season while also ending their season in each of the past two campaigns.
Lamb endorsing McCaffrey is a ploy to add more attention to the Niners and keep Dallas under the radar.
If McCaffrey wins the award, the spotlight shines brightest on him and less on Dak Prescott, Lamb and the Cowboys.
It also adds higher expectations to Kyle Shanahan’s team, after all they have the best offensive weapon and are the top seed, with a psychological edge on Dallas to boot.
Add to that the fact many are crediting the Cowboys strong season to facing many weak opponents, and that puts Dallas further even off the grid.
Only one of the last seven Offensive Player of the Year winners have gone on to win the Super Bowl, Cooper Kupp, with the Rams in 2021.
Everything is favouring the Niners right now which may be the perfect storm for the Cowboys to swoop in and shock everyone.