I love the intensity of the Dallas Cowboys version of George Pickens, but could the issues that plagued him in Pittsburgh be creeping up on the Cowboys?
I’m not advocating for a big smile as he walks off the field after a loss, but a good block or two during a game would be nice.
“GP is one of those guys where I don’t ever see him really affected in terms of you know the emotion. Does he get the
When Brian Schottenheimer criticized Pickens, it caught my attention, and it was something I wasn’t paying attention to during games. Run blocking.
The Cowboys offense this season has been about as inconsistent as it comes, but asking a receiver to help the running game shouldn’t require public discussion, and with Pickens that brings up a logical concern that he had with the Steelers.
If you remember, or maybe you haven’t seen it, Schottenheimer called out George Pickens for his lazy blocking before the Philadelphia Eagles game. Then we watched as Ryan Flournoy took more snaps than Pickens in the win.
Can you see the message in that timeline of events? I can’t say for certain the Cowboys’ personnel changes point to Pickens being put in timeout, but here we are.
Dallas knew the questions they faced when they made the trade for him last season. He’s a productive receiver that gives a team something to worry about outside his play on the field.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Have Seen this Movie
While in Pittsburgh, George Pickens caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns during three seasons. The Steelers were able to get some productivity out of him while also dealing with his immaturity.
After two personal fouls against Cincinnati in December 2024, Mike Tomlin said:
“You just have to grow up, man, it’s an emotional game. These divisional games are big. He has a target on his back because he’s George (Pickens). He understands that, but he has to grow up. He has to grow up in a hurry.”
Oh, and blocking issues isn’t a new thing with George Pickens. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Pickens did not even attempt to block for Jaylen Warren. His reasoning was that he didn’t want to risk getting injured.
Warren was trying to score, and he needed his teammate to help him get into the end zone, but didn’t get any help at all.
This is all part of George Pickens’ history that put a little more weight on what Schottenheimer had to say about him. Dallas has reached the point where the coach is publicly asking for a player to do more when someone else gets the ball.
The conversation was had in Pittsburgh, and now it’s like déjà vu in Dallas.
I could argue the relationships aren’t in the same place as Pickens and Tomlin, but we can’t dismiss the same type of concern rearing its ugly head again.
George Pickens Response Did Not Help Him
I like that Schottenheimer was very specific about what he wanted.
“He’s got to do the same thing in the run game, picking up safeties and blocking corners.”
That’s some pretty basic expectations from a receiver. Does anyone expect him to win every block? No, but his team should be able to count on him being competitive until the play’s over.
Pickens’ response didn’t sound like someone that cared to improve in that area of his game:
“Well, I’m doing what they tell me to do. So, do what they tell me to do.”
On Schottenheimer saying he needs to block better:
“I feel like if you narrow the comments down, you’re talking about the
I don’t mind that answer, but Pickens has to take some responsibility for his blocking.
I’ve questioned Schottenheimer’s decision-making, and calling out a wide receiver that has a past of causing issues may not be the best move, but if it helps light a fire under Pickens, I’m here for it.
The thing is, Dallas cannot make effort another thing they have to scheme around.
How bout’ the Ryan Flournoy Snaps
Is the writing on the wall for George Pickens because, against Philadelphia, the game after being called out for effort, we watched as Flournoy played 53 snaps. CeeDee Lamb got 55, and ol’ George Pickens got the short end of the stick with 41.
Was this just a game plan the Cowboys were going with or was it Schottenheimer trying to get his point across? The reason being, the Cowboys ran the ball down the throats of the Eagles and Flournoy gives a lot of effort in run blocking.
Whatever combination of blocking, personnel fit, and coaching drove those decisions, Flournoy got the opportunities and Pickens didn’t.
Ryan Flournoy shouldn’t have to match Pickens’ receiving numbers, but even that area is close. Against Philadelphia, Flournoy caught all four of his targets for 70 yards, while Pickens had four receptions on six targets for 57 yards and one touchdown.
If the coaches think Flournoy is the better blocker, and he’s within a hundred yards receiving with 18 fewer targets than Pickens, are we seeing Pickens become expandable?
George Pickens’ contested catches are some of, if not, the best in the NFL. His blocking is not.
Dallas Needs to Uphold the Standard
The helmet slam against Tampa Bay doesn’t concern me nearly as much as effort. Pickens told us he was frustrated because the interception left Dallas without chance to come back.
“I feel like everybody was the same way, just disappointed, me most definitely because I’m definitely one of the biggest competitors. So as soon as I seen them intercept the ball, I knew the Bucs was gonna try to run the clock out. That’s kind of what they did to start the game. We didn’t get the ball into the second quarter, like the third to the second quarter, so I kind of knew they were gonna do that. So my frustration was just, I knew it was over, and I just hate that we had no more time on the clock.”
I don’t think there is any reason to say George Pickens is a locker room problem. His comments and Schottenheimer’s criticism give us enough to unpack without trying to guess what teammates think.
The biggest concern I have is that Dallas could get comfortable having this conversation repeatedly. Another reminder from Schottenheimer, a Pickens explanation, and another big-time receiving game to make us forget about it.
The Cowboys can’t wait until they’re tired of dealing with the issue before coming to the realization that having a standard for players matters.
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