One of the Cowboys who did not exactly come off scot-free from the 44-30 loss to the Lions in Week 14 was, no doubt, wide receiver George Pickens who had five catches on nine targets for just 37 yards, a steep drop from the 378 yards he had amassed during the Dallas three-game winning streak that had moved the team back into the fringes of the NFC playoff picture.
Pickens not only did not put up big yardage, but he was called out during the national Thursday night broadcast for loafing during a route, a circumstance that brought back all the negative associations attached to him from his days in Pittsburgh. The Steelers traded Pickens to the Cowboys, in part, because they had tired of his uneven effort, and it sure looked like that version of Pickens was on display on Thursday.
But that’s all happened and there’s no changing it. Now the question is what will Pickens do about his situation? Quarterback Dak Prescott is encouraged by what he’s seen so far.
George Pickens Has Responded in Practice
Speaking to reporters after Cowboys practice at The Star on Thursday, Prescott said Pickens’ practice response has been impressive. He also indicated that Pickens is, in a way a victim of his own success–he’s played well, so it was jarring to see him play poorly.
“He has responded great. Just came in like a pro as I expected him to do and what I told you all he would do in the postgame,” Prescott said.
“When you’re playing to the level he is and the standard, what he put out there is not to his standard or anybody’s expectations when you play the way that he does. He owns that. He has had a hell of a week of practice and is going to continue to finish that way. There’s no doubt all that is going to transpire into the game.”
Getty ImagesCowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Cowboys Easing George Pickens Out of Controversy
Pickens has 78 catches in 13 games in his first season with the Cowboys, a career high, and also has career highs with 1,179 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. Even with his poor Week 14, he is the No. 6 receiver in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus’s ratings.
Pickens was drawn into controversy after the Lions game as he took criticism from former Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman, who accused him of being “disengaged.” Pickens fired back with an expletive-heavy social media post, and coach Brian Schottenheimer talked with Pickens to bring down the temperature.
“In his words, he said, ‘Hey Schotty, I didn’t play my best game,’” Schottenheimer said. “I think that, unfortunately, none of us played our best game, so that’s reality. But again, I don’t worry about George and his love for football and playing this game. Again, you know for five or six weeks, he was the talk of the sporting world: ‘Look at George Pickens.’ We didn’t coach or play well enough to win that game in Detroit. They beat us. It is what it is.”
Cowboys Struggling in Red Zone
For Prescott, a key part of getting Pickens back on track figures to be getting him more involved in the red zone, which has been a challenge for the Cowboys. They were just 1-for-3 on red-zone trips on Thursday.
“Self-inflicted wounds,” Prescott said. “Any time it is self-inflicted, it’s through your preparation, it’s through the week of practice. Just communication, doing the simple thing right, knowing not only the play but the reads and the nuances of the play and adjusting to the things that can happen. I would say just players all took turns—including myself—on different plays as we approached the red zone on different drives that resulted in us not getting enough touchdowns.
“We’ve just gotta finish better in the red zone.”
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