George Pickens Lands Praise for Paving Way for Cowboys Win

The Dallas Cowboys’ reliance on wide receiver George Pickens has paid off early in the season after a clutch performance against the Giants.

After a sour outing in Week 1 against the Eagles, plagued by bad routes and dropped passes, Pickens bounced back and kicked it into high gear late against New York.

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Down by three points with less than a minute in the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott was able to find Pickens in the end zone, breaking away from cornerback Paulson Adebo to record his first touchdown in a Cowboys uniform. The touchdown put the Cowboys ahead 34-30 with 52 seconds on the clock.

Yet, Dallas would be in jeopardy three plays later when Giants quarterback Russell Wilson threw a deep pass to Malik Nabers for a touchdown to give them the lead. With only 25 seconds left, Dallas miraculously ran the ball down the field to allow Brandon Aubrey to smash a 64-yard field goal and force overtime.

Then, once again, Pickens showed up in the clutch. With time running down, Prescott connected with Pickens on a 27-yard pass to set up the game-winning kick by Aubrey three plays later.

In the postgame press conference, head coach Brian Schottenheimer reiterated his trust and appreciation of Pickens’ work ethic, which had previously come under fire after Week 1.

“I love George Pickens,” Schottenheimer told reporters following the game. “He has been a joy to coach.”

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Pickens ended the day with five receptions on nine targets for 68 yards and one touchdown. While his performance was only 38 yards more than Week 1 and left him with things to work on, the crucial set of catches and higher number of targets is a trend in the right direction.

With a road game against the winless Chicago Bears next up on the schedule, Pickens will likely get another chance to shake off the rust and prove to Dallas that he’s there to stay.

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