The Dallas Cowboys had the wind taken out of their sails in Week 14, as they suffered a tough 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. As a result of this defeat, star wide receiver George Pickens faced serious criticism for the first time this year, prompting team owner Jerry Jones to step in and defend him.
It’s been a breakout season for Pickens, but several folks had a problem with his effort late in Dallas’ loss to Detroit. Pickens responded to this chatter in a since-deleted post on social media, and while it may seem like the Cowboys have a budding problem with the talented playmaker, Jones doesn’t appear to be too concerned with him as the team prepares for its Week 15 action.
Jerry Jones Comes to George Pickens’ Defense
After Pickens wore out his welcome with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys swung a trade for him ahead of the 2025 campaign. The hope was that Pickens could establish himself as a de facto No. 2 wide receiver working behind CeeDee Lamb in the passing game, which would help take Dallas’ offense to another level.
Instead, with Lamb missing several games this season due to injury, Pickens has had to step up and be Dak Prescott’s No. 1 option in the air more often than not. He’s responded by turning in easily the best season of his career, as Pickens has 78 receptions for 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns through 13 games.
Even after Lamb exited the team’s loss to the Lions early with a concussion, Pickens struggled to make much of an impact, as he caught just five passes for 37 yards. There were several plays late in the game where Pickens appeared to be mailing it in, and given his history of controversial on-field actions, he’s taken a beating in the media. Jones doesn’t get why fans are attacking Pickens after one rough game, though, and he made it clear the team is standing by the star playmaker.
“I think the criticism with this last ball game has been hard on him and not justified,” Jones said of Pickens on 105.3 The Fan. “I understand what we wanted to do, but there was more to it than met the eye, and let’s just leave it all at that. A game like that leaves us all wanting more … I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a body of work or a season dismissed as quickly as it was with Pickens getting criticized against Detroit. That’s madness.”
George Pickens Looking to Put Together Bounce-Back Game in Week 15
GettyGeorge Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys
While things haven’t necessarily gone as expected for the Cowboys this season, the development of Pickens as a top-tier weapon has been a win for the team. And while losing to the Lions hurt the team’s playoff chances, the Philadelphia Eagles‘ struggles atop the NFC East division have left the door open for Dallas to make a late playoff push if it can get its act together.
The team will have a great opportunity to do just that in Week 15 against a Minnesota Vikings team that has not been particularly great this season. If the Cowboys can keep the pressure on the Eagles, they could suddenly have a shot at sneaking into the playoffs. They need to win every game they can at this point, though, and they will look to do just that when they square off against the Vikings on Sunday Night Football.
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