Imagine this: the lead singer…the heartbeat of the band, the one who fires up the entire crowd, gets pulled off the stage for no clear reason. Fans would lose their minds, right? Well, that’s exactly how the Cowboys Nation felt on Monday when star receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were surprisingly benched for the opening drive. Neither was hurt nor dealing with any legal issues; it was all about team discipline. And now, one of the “culprits” is finally speaking out.

“Certain personnel. We kind of thought they were gonna come out in certain stuff. But they didn’t. They started kinda hunching down on the run, so we started throwing it around a little bit,” The Athletic’s Jon Machota quoted George Pickens.

Pickens when told that Brian Schottenheimer said it was because he and CeeDee Lamb missed a couple things: “That’s just like between me and Schotty, honestly.”

Well, the “couple things” are still unclear, but according to NFL insider Nick Harris, their absence was related to attendance. This was seen as one of the most surprising issues as Lamb and Pickens are the top two wideouts for Dallas.

Entering week 11, Pickens had already racked up 49 carries for 764 yards, becoming Dak Prescott‘s most reliable target this season. On the other hand, Lamb entered with 35 carries for 491 yards. Both wideouts saw the field only in the second drive for Dallas, and still continued to showcase their prowess as the league’s most elite receivers.

George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb continue to impress with their stellar performances

Though the Cowboys managed a comfortable 33-16 victory over the Raiders on Monday, Pickens and Lamb continued to impress with their first-class showings. Where Lamb averaged 13.2 yards per carry for 66 yards, Pickens delivered one of his season-best performances against the Raiders. He managed 9 carries for 144 yards, averaging exactly 16 yards per carry. Both receivers contributed with one touchdown each and continued to be a perimeter threat for the opponent.

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With this kind of play, Pickens has now even climbed to the second spot in the league in receiving yards (904) and sits in third in touchdown grabs (7). He is putting up star-level numbers, and even Jerry Jones is rooting for him.

“I’m so proud for us that we’ve got him,” Jones said. “I don’t know when I’ve seen a guy on a steady basis play as inspirational as he’s playing.”

The Cowboys are still four games behind the NFC East leaders, the

Philadelphia Eagles. But if Dak Prescott continues to use his offensive weapons effectively, the playoff picture will be clearer for Brian Schottenheimer’s Cowboys. Till then, what happens in the building isn’t looking great. Having a rift between the team and its most trusted receivers is the last thing that the fans want to hear.