Football fans got their first taste of action on Thursday night, and while it wasn't the Pittsburgh Steelers taking the field, there was a familiar face we all wanted to see. George Pickens just made his debut with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles... but his performance left a lot of meat on the bone.
After watching the all-22 film, it was easy to tell when Pickens thought the ball was coming his direction and when he knew it would not. The polarizing wide receiver played with a different gear when he was the primary target—a gear that seemed to go away when he knew he wasn't going to be involved.
As a blocker, Pickens had an embarrassing performance. The former 2022 second-round pick appeared to be making one 'business decision' after another to avoid getting mixed up in the pile. The problem is that he can't afford to show a lack of effort in blocking in his first game with a new team in a contract year.
Let's give credit where credit is due. When the ball did come his way, Pickens produced as well as could be expected. On four targets, the former Steelers receiver hauled in three receptions for 30 yards. He also drew a huge pass interference call deep down the field near the endzone that led to an easy score for Dallas.
However, the Cowboys' game plan will need to change and change fast if the team wants to make sure Pickens doesn't become a problem.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans know George Pickens could soon self-destruct if the Dallas Cowboys don't alter their game plan
There are two things we know about George Pickens: he wants to be involved, and he wants to win football games. These are good qualities to have. The problem is that, when things are not going well, Pickens is capable of self-destructing. And Cowboys fans might have already gotten their first taste of this since trading for Pickens in May.
During the Cowboys' 20-24 loss to the Eagles, quarterback Dak Prescott frequently targeted his go-to receiver CeeDee Lamb. With all eyes watching in a game that didn't wrap up until after midnight Eastern Time, Lamb was targeted 13 times while Pickens took a backseat to not only Lamb but tight end Jake Ferguson as well.
Four targets per game for Pickens isn't going to cut it if the Cowboys want him to keep his head on straight.
Lamb not only earned more than three times as many targets as Pickens, but he also had as many drops (four) as Pickens had opportunities. That isn't going to bode well for often unstable Pickens. The cherry on top was CeeDee's final drop deep down the left sideline. The Cowboys would have had a chance to win the game; instead, Week 1 ended in heartbreak.
As Steelers fans, we know from experience that George Pickens would get particularly mopey after a loss—especially in games in which he was barely involved on offense.
This was just his first game with the Dallas Cowboys, so we don't expect disaster right away. But Cowboys fans just got a small taste of what Pittsburgh Steelers fans went through over the past three years with George Pickens.
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