No one expected George Pickens to be as good as he has been this season for the Dallas Cowboys. And apparently, it was rather easy to get the best out of him. Fellow Dallas wideout CeeDee Lamb talked about why things are working out for Pickens in Dallas and their benching in Las Vegas last week.

The Cowboys didn’t try to “fix” him.

“We’re going to figure out everything else and how we have to grow as men and as a football player off the field, but other than that, come be you. I feel like, with that, it was very easy for him. He understood that we weren’t trying to change him. We wanted him to come over here and do that, and that he’s doing. He’s actually exceeded that. Shoutout to GP,” Lamb said.

“I feel like he’s comfortable here. He’s happy here. He has a home here, and he feels like he’s accepted. I feel like we did a great job, welcoming him with open arms, and everything he did in Pittsburgh, bringing that here,” the wide receiver added.

If you watch them together, it makes sense. Lamb said Pickens feels accepted, feels at home, feels like he can breathe a little. And that’s probably the biggest difference from his Pittsburgh days, where the frustration always seemed to outweigh the good parts.

He sure looks comfortable. When Lamb went down in Week 3 against Chicago, the Cowboys needed someone to keep the offense afloat. No one expected Pickens to hold it up on his own. But from Lamb’s injury through his return against Washington, Pickens reeled in 19 catches on 26 targets and scored four touchdowns.

And when Lamb came back, Pickens didn’t shrink into the background. This week against the Raiders, he went right back to dominating: nine catches, 144 yards, and a touchdown in a 33–16 win. Jerry Jones, not one for understatement, called it “poetic.”

“Pickens was… I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet,” Jones said.

Jerry doesn’t hand out that kind of praise often. But Pickens is playing at a level that demands it. Lamb might’ve nailed the reason: Dallas didn’t sand down the edges. They just let him be who he is.

But for all the good they’ve brought to the offense, the Pickens–Lamb duo also found themselves in a bit of off-field heat this week.

Lamb-Pickens benched by Brian Schottenheimer

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens weren’t on the field for the Cowboys’ opening series Monday night, and it wasn’t because of a tweak in the game plan. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer made the call. And later, CeeDee Lamb explained why.

He and Pickens broke curfew. Lamb admitted they were out late at a Las Vegas casino the night before the game. He pushed back hard, though, on the social-media rumor mill that painted a far worse picture of him throwing up in the casino.

“That’s a disrespect to even suggest that. I know how to hold my liquor,” Lamb said.

Once the punishment was served, both receivers jumped right back into their usual roles. Lamb returned on the first snap of the Cowboys’ second series; Pickens checked in a play later. From there, they played like nothing had happened. Lamb finished with five grabs for 66 yards and a touchdown.

After the win, Schottenheimer didn’t dwell on the benching. Instead, he talked about how they responded.

“But you look at the energy those guys play with, they literally jump-started the offense when they got back in. They didn’t hang their heads, didn’t do any of that stuff. That’s why I love those guys, man,” the Cowboys head coach said.

Give Schottenheimer credit. Plenty of coaches would’ve looked the other way, especially in a tight division race. Instead, he sent his message, sat two of his best playmakers for a drive, and still came out with a win.