Following the Dallas Cowboys’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Mike Tomlin is facing pressure to bench George Pickens.
The wide receiver faced criticism for what was seen as a lack of effort on Sunday Night Football, as the Cowboys emerged victorious 20-17 at Acrisure Stadium following a lengthy rain delay. With only 20 seconds remaining, Dak Prescott’s touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert sealed the victory amidst escalating hostilities, moving the Cowboys to a 3-2 record after five games.Steelers QB Justin Fields put up 131 yards with two touchdowns but seemed to be missing his major target as Pickens was chastised for being uninterested throughout the game. Video clips of Pickens sluggishly completing multiple routes went viral on social media, adding to the annoyance of spectators and sparking a debate among analysts and supporters alike.
The Athletic’s Michael Salfino expressed his sentiments on social media, saying, “Pickens is a disgrace.” Too bad Tomlin was not a tight ship operator. How come he is not benched? This is unacceptable.
Pickens had a very quiet game versus the Cowboys, catching just three of seven targets for a meagre 26 receiving yards, which is his lowest total of the season and also his second-lowest reception total. Adding insult to injury, the wideout took part in a personal low of 34 offensive snaps.
The Cowboys’ loss marked a career-first for Pickens as he played less than 60 percent of offensive snaps for the first time.
Steelers head coach Tomlin revealed that Pickens was under a strategized workload limitation, aiming to preserve his strength for the rest of the season’s grind.Tomlin told the media, “We just wanted to minimize his reps in an effort to get more productivity.” “All we are attempting to do is represent management in the context of the overall large picture. He continued to be a central figure in our plans for our offensive strategy.”
It is no different than we decrease some of the snaps of D-linemen like Cam Heyward, he emphasized, drawing comparisons between Pickens and Heyward. It all comes down to snap control. To be perfectly honest with you, there is no underlying story.”
A noteworthy 55 snaps were played by Heyward versus the Cowboys. Notably, Pickens—who was benched for the most of the last touchdown drive, which featured a crucial grab by recently promoted practice squad member Brandon Johnson—was outplayed by receivers Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III.
Pickens’ 3-2 Steelers are now aiming to defeat the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders at home, despite a lackluster start to the 2024 NFL season with only 23 receptions for 310 yards and no touchdowns over five games.
