Cowboys’ George Pickens blasted for awful effort in season-dooming loss to Lions

Billy Heyen

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Cowboys’ George Pickens blasted for awful effort in season-dooming loss to Lions image

Even on the stat sheet, it wasn't pretty for George Pickens in the Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.

Catching only 5-of-9 targets, less than 10 yards per catch, very much not ideal. But then the film makes it look even worse.

On a number of plays, Pickens didn't run hard. He didn't even run half speed. He ran like a guy who had no intention of getting the ball thrown to him on a given play.

The lack of effort led to at least one direct turnover. It led to replays of Dak Prescott shouting at his star wide receiver. And it led, in part, to a Dallas loss.

CeeDee Lamb left the game with a concussion and didn't return. Pickens was already seeing double teams, and at that point, it was automatic for Detroit to double Pickens.

And for whatever reason, he didn't maintain the effort level Dallas needed.

On the Amazon postgame show, former Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman laid into Pickens:

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The same was true on ESPN's Get Up on Friday morning. Former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas referenced his Falcons teammates, Roddy White and Julio Jones, who never took a play off. Dan Orlovsky said the same about his legendary Lions teammate, Calvin Johnson.

The consensus was that Pickens had let his team down.

And for all the good Pickens has already done this season, in a game the Cowboys pretty much needed to have, he didn't show up.

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Contributing Writer