Based on what wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is saying about the Dallas Cowboys’ defense during OTAs, it would appear the unit might be moving in the right direction.

Of course, all eyes will be on Dallas’ defense this season after the unit was one of the worst in the NFL in 2025 and prevented the Cowboys from making the postseason.

Since then, the Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker and a bunch of new players on that side of the ball, which gives hope the unit can rebound and Dallas can get back to the playoffs.

When asked about the defense after OTAs practice on Thursday, Lamb called the Cowboys’ revamped unit “annoying” and “tricky.”

“It’s annoying. It’s been annoying to prepare against, but obviously just seeing it practice every day… it’s kind of unique, just seeing different guys communicate and being able to understand and take what they learn from the meeting room and being able to easily translate it on the field. It’s good to go against, it’s very tricky,” Lamb said, per DLLS Cowboys.

There’s a few positives to unpack from Lamb’s comment.

For starters, having stiffer competition from the defense in practice is going to help Dallas’ offense get even better.

To see that Lamb is even remotely bothered by the Cowboys’ unit and calls it “tricky” says a lot about the complexity of the defense and how difficult it will be for opposing offenses to figure it out.

Then, there’s the remark about the communication, which will be key for everyone getting on the same page and the defense moving as one, which is important with so many new pieces.

Now, does all of that mean we can lock the Cowboys’ defense in for an improved season? No, but it’s a positive sign that there is progress being made toward that goal.

Cowboys’ defense is key for 2026 season

Jerry Jones said it back in March and we couldn’t agree more: the Cowboys’ defense held the team back in 2025.

“I’ll tell you, when you have the challenges we had last year, there’s no place to go but up on the defensive side of the ball,” he said. “Had we played a lick of defense last year, we would’ve had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run.”

Looking ahead to 2026, if the Cowboys want to get back to the playoffs, things have got to get much better on that side of the ball.

With an offense that stands to be elite, the defense doesn’t have to totally match that level of performance. Instead, we believe the Cowboys can get back to the postseason simply by sporting an average defense.

And, if the Cowboys can improve to a top-10 unit, it’s not crazy to think Dallas can compete for more than just a playoff spot this coming season.

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It’s a battle Royale in Florida when the Miami Marlins host the Tampa Bay Rays for the last series of the season, starting Friday.

These two in-state rivals start their final series of the season when the Miami Marlins host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. The Rays are limping into this series after getting swept at home by the then-last-place Detroit Tigers during the week. The Rays have only won two games in their last 10 matchups. Tampa Bay had a firm hold on first place in the AL East, but now it only has a half-game lead over the New York Yankees for the top spot in the division. The Rays are still in good shape, with the best record in the American League at 36-23 and a 15-14 road record. The Marlins are in the opposite boat, going for their fourth straight win in this opener. They swept the Washington Nationals on the road during the week. Miami is crawling its way back to .500, now sitting at 29-34 with an 18-15 home record. Miami is still in fourth in the NL East standings, sitting 13 games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves. Tampa Bay leads the season-series against its in-state rival, 2-1, after winning the first series at home in the middle of May. Tampa Bay is the -143 favorite to extend this season-series lead and end its three-game losing streak on Friday.

How to Watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins Today:

Game Date: Friday, June 5, 2026

Game Time: 7:10 p.m. ET

TV: Miami Marlins, MLB.TV – Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays

Location: loanDepot park – Miami, FL

Live stream the Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins game on Fubo: Start Watching Now!

The Marlins earned the sweep on Wednesday afternoon, beating the Nationals 4-1. Max Meyer was lethal on the mound for Miami to improve to 6-0, going seven innings while only giving up two hits and a run while striking out seven. That run only came on a fielder’s choice in the third, and the Nats couldn’t score again. Washington only had three hits the whole game. Esteury Ruiz hit a solo shot in the second, but they couldn’t score again until Joe Mack hit a tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth to help Miami break through. The Marlins will try to keep it rolling in this home-opener by starting Ryan Gusto, who has only appeared twice in three innings this season, giving up three runs. This is his first start of the season.

Tampa Bay couldn’t get much offense rolling in its finale against Detroit on Wednesday, losing 7-2. The Rays only had four hits the whole day. The Rays kept pace early with Cedric Mullins tying the game at two in the second on a solo shot, but Tampa didn’t score the rest of the day. Troy Melton was just too much for the Rays to handle after that, with the Tigers’ starter going eight innings. Tampa Bay will have a great shot at bouncing back by starting Drew Rasmussen, who is 4-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 59 innings pitched.

What Time Is The Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins Game On?

The Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins game will take place on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 7:10 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great MLB action.

What Channel Is the Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins On?

Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune in to Miami Marlins, MLB.TV – Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.

Live stream the Tampa Bay Rays vs Miami Marlins game on Fubo: Start watching now!

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