CHARLOTTE — It’s still hard to fathom a scenario that has the Cowboys making the playoffs.

But they’re not done yet.

The Cowboys’ 30-14 victory over Carolina at Bank of America Stadium allowed the team to avoid elimination. Is it simply a case of delaying the inevitable?

Probably. But the Cowboys did show something by bouncing back six days after what could have been a demoralizing loss to Cincinnati.

Dallas now finds itself with three wins in the last four games and a date next Sunday night at AT&T Stadium against Tampa Bay.

Lamb sets himself apart

CeeDee Lamb did something no Cowboys receiver has done before him.

The latest in a storied line of No. 88s became the first player in franchise history to accrue more than 1,000 yards receiving in four of his first five seasons. Lamb surpassed that total in the first half of Sunday’s game and kept going.

Lamb finished the afternoon with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. He had 105 yards receiving in the first two quarters, allowing him to pass the 100-yard mark for only the second time this season.

The only other game this season that Lamb broke the 100 barrier came in late October when he had 13 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to San Francisco.

Coming in bunches

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer likes to say that turnovers come in bunches.

That’s been the case of late.

A defense that forced little to nothing early in the season is making up for lost time. The Cowboys forced four turnovers Sunday, giving them 14 in their last seven games. Rookie Marist Liufau, filling in for the injured DeMarvion Overshown, forced one fumble while defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa did another. Corner Jourdan Lewis tipped a pass that linebacker Eric Kendricks picked off. In the fourth quarter, defensive back Israel Mukuamu added an interception.

The fumble Odighizuwa forced on Carolina’s first play in the second half helped break the game open for Dallas. The Cowboys scored a touchdown five plays later to take a 17-7 lead that a limited Panthers team was in no position to challenge.

High water mark

Cooper Rush has been efficient through the years when he’s stepped in for Dak Prescott.

But the offense hasn’t been particularly explosive.

That changed — kinda — against the Panthers. The 30 points Rush generated on offense is the most the Cowboys have scored with him as a starter. It broke the 25 points Dallas had with Rush a couple of years ago.

And yes, the Cowboys did beat Washington 34-26 earlier this season with Rush at quarterback, but the final was inflated by two special teams touchdowns.

That 27-20 win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving? The Cowboys had a defensive touchdown to reach that total.

Dowdle hits his stride

Rico Dowdle finished with 25 carries for 149 yards in Sunday’s victory.

That should come as no surprise. The Panthers entered the day as the league’s worst rushing defense, allowing an average of 170.1 yards on the ground.

But what Dowdle did was no aberration. He’s now rushed for 100 or more yards in three consecutive games.

The last Cowboys running back to do that was Ezekiel Elliott in 2019.

Missing in action

The Cowboys’ Pro Bowl nucleus took a hit this weekend with the news that corner Trevon Diggs will undergo season-ending surgery.

Diggs will become the fifth Pro Bowl player who will wind up on injured reserve this season, joining Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence and DaRon Bland. While Micah Parsons wasn’t placed on the list, he did miss four games earlier this season with a high ankle sprain.

There’s one moving part here. Lawrence had hoped to return after Thanksgiving, but his 21-day window has yet to be activated.

Let’s say he doesn’t come back. That means that when the season ends, the Cowboys will have missed 47 starts from their Pro Bowl nucleus.

Assuming no one else goes down.

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