'Avenging Dez!' Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb vs. Green Bay in Playoffs: A Deep 'No. 88' Meaning

'Avenging Dez!' Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb vs. Green Bay Packers in Playoffs: A Deep 'No. 88' Meaning

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb may be a first-team All-Pro this season, but this Sunday, he'll have an even more meaningful honor to earn for America's Team. To avenge Dez Bryant against the Green Bay Packers in a playoff matchup with a serious history. 

Unlike most teams that retire the jersey numbers of legendary players, the Cowboys have allowed great receivers to continue the legacy of the No. 88 jersey, which has been passed down from former first-team All-Pros, Drew Pearson (1973-83), Michael Irvin (1988-99), Bryant (2010-17), and has been worn by Lamb since 2020.

CeeDee Lamb will have an opportunity to avenge No. 88 club member Dez Bryant and his painful playoff history versus the Green Bay Packers, which goes back to 2015 / Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Irvin has spoken publicly about what it means to continue seeing No. 88 take the field for Dallas rather than seeing it in the rafters.

"Why would I want my number retired? When you retire the number, Oh, they put it in the rafters. As soon as you leave, time will go to eternity, and they go...'Who?' That's it... That's the only time you get your flowers," Irvin said to Jimmy Kimmel. "With CeeDee Lamb wearing No. 88, every Sunday he steps in the football field; when he misses a ball, they say 'Mike Irvin wouldn't have dropped that.' If he catches the ball, they say, 'looks like Mike Irvin.''

"So no matter what, I get my flowers every Sunday. I want my flowers while I'm living."

This week and this matchup mean more to the storied history of the No. 88 jersey. The Packers (arguably even the game referees) have gotten the better of the Cowboys, especially Bryant, who has been unable to live down a controversial call back in 2015 when Dallas lost to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay 26-21.

9 years ago

The whole world know I caught!

I changed the game forever! pic.twitter.com/m1JeffNeRD

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 11, 2024

The "Dez Caught It" game is a stain on the legacy of the No. 88 jersey that needs to be scrubbed off the jersey by Lamb, its current spokesman. Bryant tried to do it himself in 2017 against the Packers. Unfortunately, his nine receptions, 132 yards, and two touchdowns ultimately weren't enough to secure the win as Green Bay would again emerge victorious, upsetting the Cowboys 34-31.

And this week, on that infamous game's anniversary, Dez said it again: "The world knows I caught it!''

'The World Knows I Caught It!' Crappy Anniversary for Dez

All of Lamb's 135 receptions, 1,749 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns have led to this moment, the time when he can avenge Bryant, the No. 88 before him, and help Dallas end its current two-game playoff losing streak versus the Packers. 

Times are different now. No longer is NFL MVP Rodgers calling the shots in Green Bay's huddle; instead, it's his mentee, Jordan Love, a first-year starter responsible for leading the Packers back into the playoffs thanks to his 4,159 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions as a first-year starter.

Also favoring the Cowboys this time around is that the head coach responsible for the team's past two losses versus the Packers, Mike McCarthy, is now on Dallas' side calling the plays. 

History has a way of writing the best stories, and this Sunday, Lamb will have an opportunity to write a new chapter in No. 88's folklore, one that avenges Bryant.