The Dallas Cowboys walked out of Detroit knowing the noise around star wideout George Pickens was coming. Pickens covered only 37 yards in the Detroit Lions game on Thursday Night Football, which the Dallas team lost 44-30 on the board.
But any time a star receiver posts a quiet game, effort questions fly fast. And Pickens has lived in that spotlight before. This time, the conversation reignited after a 14-point loss in which Dallas never found rhythm, and Pickens finished with limited production, that is, only five catches.
But Brian Schottenheimer wanted none of the familiar narrative. The Cowboys’ head coach shot down any suggestion that Pickens’ effort dipped. Schottenheimer insisted the problem had nothing to do with the receiver and everything to do with how the Lions defended him.
Schottenheimer said he saw no effort issues from Pickens, aligning with Pickens’ own locker-room comments. As reported by Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News, Schottenheimer said he saw no effort issues from Pickens.
Detroit’s coverage, particularly their physical man looks and rotated safety help, dictated where Dak Prescott could and couldn’t go with the ball. That, Schottenheimer said, is why Pickens’ targets dipped, not because the receiver wasn’t playing hard.
The coach explained that Detroit rolled coverage toward Pickens on early downs, then added safety help over the top on passing situations. That combination shrank Pickens’ opportunities and pushed Prescott into throwing underneath or elsewhere. The Cowboys didn’t counter quickly enough, and the offense stalled. Recently, Dak Prescott also praised Pickens, showing support for the star receiver. And no doubt, the team owner, Jerry Jones, is also advocating for his next season as a Cowboy.
With Pickens regularly scrutinized for body language or passion, Schottenheimer’s defense was direct and deliberate. He put the responsibility squarely on Detroit’s defensive plan. Maybe due to some of these reasons, Pickens was frustrated after the referee’s calls.
But after the Lions game, the Cowboys’ playoff odds have dropped to 9%.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota reported on Friday that the Cowboys now have only a 9% chance to play in the postseason. But he also added that if the Cowboys win the next four games, the odds percentage goes up to 40%.
The franchise QB Dak Prescott shed light on this update, saying they are not done yet. “The guys are pissed off right now,” Prescott said. “I don’t think this is any deflated moment like our hands are up, we’re done. No. Absolutely not. I think you’re gonna get a team that’s pissed. I hope it pisses people off the right way and we use it as fuel.” Let’s see what happens in the remaining four games of the regular season.
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