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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 04: George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys drops a pass against D.J. Reed #4 of the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
This was the sequence the Cowboys and their faithful had been dreading since going back to the time that George Pickens came to The Star in a deal for a third-round pick from Pittsburgh. The Steelers were willing to trade the uber-talented and physical Pickens because the team had tired of his lackluster approach and intermittent approach to discipline. With free agency approaching, Pittsburgh decided to let committing big money to Pickens be Jerry Jones’ problem.
Except the version of Pickens that used to drive coach Mike Tomlin bonkers just never really showed itself in Dallas. At least not until late in the third quarter against the Lions when, for the first time in an otherwise magical year for Pickens, the frustration was obvious.
On a night when the Cowboys lost CeeDee Lamb to a concussion–after six catches and 121 yards–Pickens needed to step up. He didn’t, and the Dallas three-game winning streak ended with a 44-30 defeat in Detroit.
George Pickens ‘Just Jogging’ on Key Play
First, Pickens was flagged on a crossing route for an offensive pass interference with 3:41 to go in the third, on a play in which the Cowboys were lined up for a big third-and-9 from the 35-yard line. A conversion would keep the drive going in a 27-16 game. But Pickens did not sell the cross very well, plowed into a defender and set the Cowboys back 10 yards.
On the ensuing third-and-19, Pickens loafed his way up the left sideline, apparently not aware that quarterback Dak Prescott would be looking for him. The ball was easily batted away for an incompletion, and Prescott was not happy.
As analyst Kirk Herbstreit noted, Pickens was not even faking that he might go deep: “This is not a great route by George Pickens. … It almost looks like he is running a, just a route. He is just jogging downfield.”
GettyMedical staff attend to CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.
Cowboys Loaded With Mistakes vs. Lions
Pickens’ night–which included, for the second straight week, a fumble in the shadow of the goal line that was recovered by a teammate– was a microcosm for the Cowboys in general. Mistakes were the theme of the evening, and at halftime, coach Brian Schottenheimer lamented that the Cowboys were “self-destructing.”
That didn’t get much better in the early part of the second half, when Prescott threw an interception on the first Cowboys possession of the third quarter.
And to be fair, the loss for the Cowboys was not all about Pickens. Tight end Jake Ferguson committed a second-quarter fumble. The offensive line did not hold up against the talented Lions front. Rookie cornerback Shavon Revel looked overmatched throughout the night, and the much-improved Cowboys defense reverted to its September identity, or lack thereof.
The Cowboys committed crushing penalty after crushing penalty–seven of them for 76 yards.
Cowboys Have More to Consider With George Pickens
But Pickens did not answer the bell when called upon, not this time, at least. There has been chatter around the Cowboys that Pickens could land a contract right in the range of, maybe slightly behind, the $34 million per year that Lamb gets paid.
But Pickens caught five passes for just 37 yards on the night, and was targeted nine times. As the game went on, Prescott was more comfortable throwing to Ryan Flournoy, who had nine catches for 115 yards.
A game like the loss in Detroit would have to give Dallas pause on that monster payout.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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