FRISCO, Texas — George Pickens has 9 catches for 68 yards through two games. The Dallas Cowboys receiver said Wednesday at The Star that defensive coordinators are scheming coverage for him and CeeDee Lamb.
Pickens caught 3 of 6 targets for 28 yards in the 28-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sept. 13. Against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, he caught 6 of 8 targets for 40 yards. Lamb had 8 catches for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 37-20 win and has 13 catches for 197 yards and 3 touchdowns this season.
In 2025, Pickens set career highs with 93 catches, 1,429 yards, and 9 touchdowns and made his first Pro Bowl. Dallas placed the $27.3 million franchise tag on him in February. The July 15 deadline for a long-term deal passed without one, so he is playing the 2026 season on the tag.
Pickens said he judges his first two games by his whole game rather than the parts people focus on.
“I’d definitely say team for me,” Pickens said. “I feel like I’ve been doing great as far as the team, like my whole game. Some people just look at certain parts of my game, my whole game. I feel like it’s been great.”
Lamb caught 3 passes for 41 yards on the Cowboys’ opening drive Sunday, finishing the 66-yard march with a 3-yard touchdown. Pickens said two defenders stayed on him during that drive.
“Oh, yeah, most definitely,” Pickens explained. “I mean, coordinators, whether they stay on the same team they were last year or go to a new team, they definitely scheme or schematically scheme something up for me and CeeDee.”
“Yes, most definitely just because that’s like a 40, 50 yard gain just off of two guys watching me,” Pickens said. “And I mean, I think we scored that same drive. So definitely, and that’s engineering victory to bigger and better things. So yeah, definitely.”
George Pickens On Dallas Cowboys Run Game
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that he has not called many runs because Dallas is not blocking well enough. The Cowboys ran for 69 yards in Week 1 and 66 in Week 2. Pickens expects the run game to be fixed by Sunday.
“I feel like definitely later in the season, which I know we’ll have it corrected definitely by this game coming up here, but later in the season it definitely could play an issue,” Pickens said. “But I feel like now early, teams are just kind of getting their feet wet, Week 3, so I feel like it’s not hindering us too much. But everybody knows, game of football, run game, pass game go together.”
Prescott completed 26-of-31 passes for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns against Washington. Pickens said sticking with what is working would be Schottenheimer’s call.
“I guess, I mean, that too would kind of be a thing, definitely for Schotty,” Pickens explained. “But if it’s working, my grandparents told me, just keep it going.”
Dallas scored 37 points Sunday. Pickens said he is happy setting crack blocks as long as the Cowboys keep scoring and winning.
“Like I said, as long as we, I think we dropped 37,” Pickens said. “As long as we score and as long as we’re winning, me personally, if I’m blocking or if I’m setting a crack block and that engineered to 37 points, I’m happy. But it’s going to flip back the other way. I mean, CeeDee’s getting his, and if they’re not going to start, they’re going to come back their way. And I feel like that’s a plus with us being on the same team together, honestly.”
George Pickens On Baltimore Ravens Defense
Pickens faced Baltimore twice a year during three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2022 to 2024. In a 17-10 Pittsburgh win in 2023, he caught 6 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens are in their first season under coach Jesse Minter.
“I don’t know, I guess,” Pickens said. “New staff, like I said, like I was telling her, some coordinators stay on the same team, some of them go to the other team. But I feel like when I played the Ravens and Harbaugh was there, there was definitely a lot of man. And I feel like certain defenses keep that no matter who the coordinator is. So two-man and three, kind of the original coverages.”
The Cowboys play the Baltimore Ravens at 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, with Dallas as the designated home team.
