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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Dallas Cowboys watched their best defensive player require assistance to leave the field in the game's closing minutes. They touched the opposing quarterback three times and had to survive two last-gasp drives from the New York Giants in an eventual 20-15 victory. They were outgained, held the ball for 10 minutes less than New York and were flagged 11 times for 89 yards.

Yet the vibe inside the locker room was more of relief than an anxiety-riddled escape.

“It’s more joy in here," wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said after the game. "You lose two in a row, kind of start going through a phase where everybody is kind of uptight."

Of course, being professionals, the Cowboys would be ready to play again, even on a short week, Lamb said.

"Good for us to come out 1-0 this week. It was the one we needed," Lamb said. "It was a division game – put us in the right place.”

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The win moved Dallas back to .500 (2-2) and denied sports television analysts the chance to explore everything wrong with the Cowboys for the next 10 days until their Week 5 "Sunday Night Football" tilt on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We see all that,” linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (eight tackles) said. “We (are) humans, but most of all, we (are) grown men and competitors … so this whole week we’ve been wanting to come out here and showcase what we’re capable of. Now we just got to stack them.” 

Last week, Lamb was seen yelling on the sidelines as the Cowboys fell behind early against the Baltimore Ravens. Against the Giants, he roared for a much happier reason.

Lamb caught seven passes for 98 yards – 55 of which came on his touchdown from Dak Prescott late in the first quarter. New York lined up second-year cornerback Deonte Banks against Lamb.

All Prescott had to do was let Lamb beat Banks off the line of scrimmage and deliver the ball before the deep safety rotated to that side of the field. Lamb, who said after the game it was the lone one-on-one look he saw all game, caught the ball at the Giants' 40-yard line and housed it from there.

“‘Let’s go score.’ That’s my mindset. Whenever I get one-on-one, let’s go score,” Lamb said.

Lamb's celebration drew three separate flags for taunting, resulting in a 15-yard penalty assessed on the extra point. In the wideout's mind, everything went fast in those moments, as he tossed the football upon crossing the goal line and flexed toward the crowd.

“All that passion and everything came out of me,” he said.

Lamb told his coaches that won’t happen again in 2024; he has one free pass per year.

“That was built up from a long time ago,” Lamb said of the celebration.

Winning can release that tension – and bring "joy" to a team seeking it.