The Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers ended with nothing but disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys. But according to Troy Aikman, it was the receiving corps that lacked in performance in the game.
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“It’s a helpless feeling when you’re back there [for a quarterback], and you’re about to get hit, and you got nowhere to go with the football,” he told Mike Fisher. “Those things have to be better. Brian Schottenheimer, he addressed it. I’ve talked about it in years past.
“I won’t name names either, but there’s one particular player I was embarrassed. It’s the worst performance I’ve ever seen from a wide receiver on a football field.”
The Cowboys trotted out CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens against the Packers, as usual. Even though Aikman didn’t name who in particular stood out that bad to him, one wouldn’t be wrong if they thought this was Pickens.
The WR has been called out for not being very involved in the offense. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer himself criticized Pickens publicly, saying that he needed to help out more in the run game.
“[He] needs to understand that he impacts us in the running game as well,” the HC said. “And he’s got to do the same thing in the run game, picking up safeties and blocking corners just like Javonte [Williams] does, picking up blitzes so he can catch balls.
“And that’s part of the team-first mindset and GP does understand that. And when he’s going, they’re going to place off to his side. When he’s not going, then the safeties get pretty good runs at our backs and that’s got to improve.”
Aikman also pointed out how Dallas is not being very efficient in the run game.
“I think it’d be fair to say that even in the first half of games or in one-score games, they’ve gotten away from some of those things,” he said. “And you know, last week I think they handed the ball off to Javonte Williams three times on the opening possession, and he had eight carries the rest of the game. Even at 17-0 at halftime, that game’s far from being over. You’ve got to make some stops, and you’ve got to score points.”
Dallas has been struggling to make big plays, which is uncharacteristic of an offense that has Dak Prescott and playmakers in Lamb and Pickens. The latter receiver racked up 1,429 receiving yards last year (his first with the Cowboys), and helped Prescott finish among the Top 5 in QB rating. That is despite the team posting a 7-9-1 finish to the season in 2025.
According to TruMedia, the Cowboys have 34 explosive plays, which the platform defines as catches of 16 or more yards and runs of 12 or more yards. Dallas sit at an alarming 22nd place ahead of the Eagles matchup.
Against the Packers, Pickens caught six passes for 73 yards, while Lamb caught nine for 70. Neither helped score a touchdown. It was Ryan Flournoy who scored the lone touchdown in the passing attack.
To Lamb, better execution is where they need to focus to tap into the explosiveness.
“Execute properly,” he said. “We leave explosives out there on the field just about every week. I hate to say that, but you look at it on film, and it’s all over the tape. Just being able to execute and being on the same page with sight adjustments. We feel like everybody else feels like if they blitz us, they’re going to have a better chance of winning the game.
“I don’t believe that, but they’ve [opponents] been having a lot of success at doing that. Being on the same page and executing properly.”
Brian Schottenheimer also needs to orchestrate the offensive attack in a better way, planning out the run game and balancing it well with the pass. Perhaps against the weakened Philadelphia Eagles, they can put themselves to the test and emerge victorious.