FRISCO, Texas — When a Cowboys wide receiver gets the invite to wear Jersey No. 88, that means they have been identified as worthy to live up to the lofty standard set by those who came before him as Dallas’ top target.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Pearson is the original, wearing the number for 11 seasons from 1973-1983 and becoming a pioneer of the Hail Mary alongside Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. Hall of Famer Michael Irvin made 88 his as the Cowboys’ top receiver on their three Super Bowl title teams of the 1990s while setting numerous team records. Dez Bryant broke Dallas’ all-time receiving touchdowns record with 73 in his eight seasons (2010-2017) while rocking the double eights.
Today’s No. 88, 24-year-old Pro Bowl wide out CeeDee Lamb, broke one of Irvin’s team records with Irvin in the building for Jimmy Johnson’s induction into the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor Saturday night against the NFC North champion Detroit Lions. Lamb’s 112 catches and counting this season lead the NFL, surpassing Irvin’s single-season Cowboys catches record of 111 that was set in 1995, Dallas’ last Super Bowl championship season.
The downside of the play in which he broke the record is he fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback to give the Detroit Lions the ball right as the Cowboys were about to go up 14-3.
“If we win, it will mean a lot more,” Lamb said Wednesday about breaking Irvin’s record.
Most catches in a season in Cowboys history
* Two games left in 2023 regular season
Irvin elaborated about his single-season catches record falling at the hands of Lamb on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed” on Friday.
“I love it,” Irvin said when asked about Lamb breaking his record. “If you retire a number and they put it in the rafters, they show it in passing and then go right back to the game. If your number is on the best player’s back, every time he makes a play, they say…
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