CeeDee Lamb’s 17 Catches Set Cowboys WR Record in 34–30 Win

CeeDee Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards, including the winning 12-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left, as the Dallas Cowboys rallied to beat the Houston Texans 34–30 on Sunday, ESPN and CBS Sports reported. The 17 receptions are the most by a wide receiver in a single game in Cowboys history.

Dallas trailed by double digits at halftime, and Lamb had six catches for 49 yards at the break, according to CBS Sports. He then added 11 catches and 140 yards after halftime. Dak Prescott finished 32 of 45 for 335 yards, CBS Sports said, and ESPN reported that the quarterback targeted Lamb 21 times. The win moved Dallas to 2–2 and left Houston winless at 0–4.

Only one Cowboy has caught more passes in a game: tight end Jason Witten, who had 18 in 2012, both outlets noted; ESPN said that game came against the New York Giants. ESPN reported that Lamb’s total was the most by any NFL player since Keenan Allen caught 18 in Week 3 of 2023, and the most by a player who also scored a receiving touchdown since Brandon Marshall in Week 14 of 2009. Before Sunday, Lamb had never caught more than 13 passes in a game. CBS Sports added that he is the only Cowboy with at least 15 catches and 175 receiving yards in the same game.

The decisive score came on second-and-10. Lamb was matched against Texans safety Jalen Pitre, pushed him wide at the start of the route and then broke back inside for an easy throw, ESPN reported. Lamb caught five passes on the final drive. “Credit to Shotty of calling it at the perfect time. And soon as it was called, I knew it was a touchdown,” Prescott said, referring to coach Brian Schottenheimer. Prescott also said he did not realize Lamb had 17 catches until Schottenheimer announced it in the locker room. “I’m the one throwing it, how do I not realize that?” he said.

The game also meant a lot to Lamb personally. He grew up in Richmond, Texas, about 30 miles southwest of Houston, but had never played a game in the Texans’ stadium, ESPN reported. With a large group of family members in the stands, he said the day meant “everything.” “My grandma came out, that was really good to see,” Lamb said.

The performance continues a fast start. CBS Sports reported that Lamb has 37 catches for 498 yards and four touchdowns through four games, the most receiving yards in franchise history at this point of a season, and is on pace for 157 catches and 2,116 yards. ESPN said he passed Hall of Famer Drew Pearson for fourth on the Cowboys’ career receiving yards list and trails Tony Hill by 74 yards for third heading into Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “I’m looking forward to breaking more records,” Lamb said. “That’s nothing toward the guys ahead of me, but here I come.” Follow more NFL coverage on our Sports page.

Verification: Statistics, play details and quotes in this report come from ESPN’s game story by Todd Archer and CBS Sports’ report by Garrett Podell, both published Oct. 4, 2026. The two outlets agree on the 34–30 final score, Lamb’s 17 catches for 189 yards and the Witten franchise mark. Season-pace projections are CBS Sports’ calculations.