ARLINGTON — It didn’t take long for Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens to look like the same George Pickens that has the organization considering paying two receivers more than $30 million. It also didn’t take long for the Chargers, according to quarterback Dak Prescott, to adjust, as well.
The Cowboys offense got off to a hot start in its 34-17 loss to the Chargers. So did Pickens. He had four catches and 86 yards in the first half, including a 38-yard touchdown reception.
Pickens had more yards and more touchdowns in the first half on Sunday than he did in the previous two games combined.
Perhaps the most notable thing about Pickens’ touchdown wasn’t the fact that he leapt into the stands after it, but the fact that he faced single coverage on the play from Chargers second-year corner Cam Hart.
Cowboys
“George being George,” Prescott said about Pickens’ bounce-back performance. “Them giving us opportunities, one-on-one opportunities in coverage. A week ago, [the Vikings] did a good job, and honestly, in this game, I think that might’ve been some of it in the second half. They started rolling his way a little more.”
Overall, the entire Cowboys offense struggled in the second half as they failed to score. Pickens had three catches for 44 yards after halftime, but overall the offense struggled to move the ball.
“I don’t know if we quite made the adjustments in the second half,” Prescott said.
Fellow Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb finished with six catches for 51 yards, which meant he passed the 1,000-yard threshold for the fifth straight season. Lamb and Pickens are now the first duo of Cowboys receivers to pass that mark in the same season since 2019.
It also seems if it’s not one of them going for over 100 yards, it’s the other. The Cowboys have had at least one 100-yard receiver in 12 of their 16 games this season, including each of the last six games. Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has gone over that mark twice.
Pickens now leads the team with 1,342 receiving yards. The Cowboys have found success when targeting him against single coverage, but against double coverage or cloud coverage in zone, there’s still some adjusting to do.
“When the coverage us gives us opportunities, I’m going to attack,” Prescott said. “Whether it’s George, CeeDee, or whoever it is.”
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.