The go-route—simple in concept, brutal in execution—a footrace up the sideline, a test of trust between quarterback and receiver. A route where the margin for error is razor-thin, but the rewards are game-breaking.
In 2025, the Dallas Cowboys may have finally assembled the NFL’s most dangerous go-route tandem.
Dak Prescott, one of the league’s most precise deep-ball quarterbacks when healthy, now pairs with George Pickens, arguably the NFL’s top receiver on verticals.
This isn’t just a scheme fit, it’s a marriage of complementary talent that could redefine the Cowboys’ offensive identity and give Dallas its most dangerous vertical pairing since the Tony Romo-Dez Bryant era.
Dak Prescott: The NFL’s Underrated Deep-Ball Artist
For years, Dak Prescott has been miscast in national discourse—criticized unfairly for playoff shortcomings while quietly ranking among the NFL’s most efficient quarterbacks in deep ball metrics.
From 2021 to 2023, Prescott maintained a deep ball completion percentage (throws 20+ yards downfield) of 43.05%, ranking in the top five in that span. He consistently beat defenses by:
- Recognizing single-high coverage looks pre-snap
- Manipulating safeties with eye movement
- Throwing with elite timing and touch, not just raw arm strength
But in 2024, Dak Prescott’s season was derailed by a major injury.
2024 Injury Recap:
- Suffered a partial avulsion of the right hamstring in week 9 vs. Atlanta
- Missed the final nine games of the season
- Finished with:
- 1,978 passing yards
- 11 TDs, 8 INTs
- 64.7% completion rate
- 86.0 passer rating (career low)
Despite the limited sample size, Prescott’s deep ball remained intact, according to PFF.com and their advanced stats, his passer rating on passes of 20+ yards was 93.7.
In other words: the ability did not disappear, the volume did.
Now healthy, Prescott enters 2025 as a proven veteran with an elite understanding of route timing and the best go-route target he’s ever had.
George Pickens: NFL’s Premier Go-Route Receiver
If you watched any Pittsburgh Steelers game since 2022, you know one thing: George Pickens was the vertical offense.
In a conservative system with rotating quarterbacks, Pickens still torched secondaries with a combination of:
- Long-strider speed
- Jump ball dominance
- Elite body control and sideline awareness
2024 Stats (Steelers):
- 14 games
- 900 receiving yards
- 3 TDs
- 15.3 yards per catch (3rd in the NFL for receivers with 100 catches)
- 2 TDS of 20+ yards
- 45.85% contested catch rate on go-routes
He didn’t just separate vertically, he finished.
Pickens showcased an ability to track the ball over his shoulder, fight through contact, and make highlight-reel plays even when blanketed.
George Pickens highlight reel to go with your morning coffee. ✭ pic.twitter.com/ZTs6LKwhRF
— Outl✭w (@OutlawCowboyNFL) May 7, 2025
He’s not just a deep threat, he’s a go-route specialist, something Dallas sorely lacked in 2024. His 6’3” frame, fluid hips, and sideline footwork create separation where there technically shouldn’t be any.
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1936107284536738219
For a quarterback like Prescott—who thrives on trust throws and boundary precision— Pickens is the ideal target.
What This Means for the Cowboys Offense
The addition of George Pickens allows Dallas to fully weaponize their spacing.
- Prescott can read coverage with clarity: If safeties cheat toward Lamb, Pickens gets one-on-one looks downfield.
- Run game support: Defenses can’t load the box if Pickens is consistently winning down the sideline.
- Red zone dynamics: Even at the 30-yard line, Pickens is a threat to score vertically—changing how defenses call coverages inside the 20.
Pickens’ presence also reshapes defensive alignment.
Expect more two-high shells, which gives Lamb better matchups underneath and keeps defenses guessing on play-action.
Projected 2025 Stats: The Go-Route Resurgence
If Prescott stays healthy and the Cowboys commit to vertical play-calling, here’s what this tandem could produce:
Dak Prescott (2025 Projection):
- 4,400+ passing yards
- 35+ TDs (10+ on go-routes)
- Passer rating on go-routes: 120+
- Deep ball completion rate: 54-56%
George Pickens (2025 Projection)
- 1,100 receiving yards
- 10-12 TDs (6-8 on go-routes)
- 18.5+ yards per catch
- 60+ go-route targets
These are not fantasy numbers—they are realistic benchmarks based on historical production and expected role.
If Pickens receives 8-10 vertical targets per game and connects on even half, he’s a top-five receiver in yards per target.
What About CeeDee Lamb
Some may worry this will affect CeeDee Lamb’s targets, but the opposite is true.
Pickens gives Lamb room to operate. In 2024, Lamb saw double coverage on over 90% of routes. Lamb was targeted 146 times in 2024, and 132 of those targets were against a double team.
With Pickens outside, defenses will have to pick their poison.
Expect Lamb to:
- Face more zone instead of man coverage
- Work freer over the middle and in the intermediate layers
- Remain a high-volume, high-efficiency WR1
This trio—Lamb, Pickens, Ferguson—gives Dallas its most balanced receiving corps in years.
A Super Bowl Duo
There’s no guarantee in the NFL. Injuries, play-calling, and luck all factor in, but Prescott’s return to health and Pickens’ arrival give Dallas the clearest vertical threat combination in the NFC.
If they consistently connect on just 1-2 go-routes per game, that is an extra 30-50 yards and a possible touchdown swing every Sunday.
With a defense that ranked top-three in sacks in 2024 and a more physical run game, Dallas doesn’t need Prescott to be a volume thrower. They need high-leverage plays, and that’s where the go-route dominates.
NFL’s Most Underrated Deep Threat Duo
While media attention may stay locked on Mahomes, Burrow, or Herbert, Dak Prescott and George Pickens could quietly become the NFL’s most explosive vertical duo in 2025.
With timing, trust, and health, this could be the year the Cowboys unlock the full power of the go-route—and ride it all the way through January.
