George Pickens is playing the best football of his life in a Cowboys uniform, and the NFL is taking notice.
On Thanksgiving Day, the explosive wideout torched Steve Spagnuolo’s vaunted Chiefs defense with one simple route: the slant. Time after time, Dak Prescott fired darts to Pickens on slants, none more critical than the clutch third-down conversions in the fourth quarter that sealed the upset victory over Kansas City.
Defenses around the league have spent the week scheming how to take that route away. Pickens’ response? Good luck. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me from running it,” the confident receiver declared.
Now, Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer just dropped a microphone that’s still echoing across the league.
When asked if the Detroit Lions — Dallas’ Week 14 opponent — could eliminate the slant from the game plan, Schottenheimer didn’t flinch.
“Well, I’d say this: he’s going to run slants in this game,” Schottenheimer said with a smirk. “I’ll just put that out there. Kelvin Sheppard [Lions DC], he’s going to run slants. That’s part of the deal. If they want to play it, they can. Executing something the defense knows is coming… I think that’s really cool.”
Translation: Bring your best shot, Detroit. We dare you.
The beauty of Dallas’ offense right now is simple but lethal: two legitimate No. 1 receivers in Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. Defenses can’t double both. Do that, and you’re leaving an elite weapon one-on-one. Try to bracket Pickens on slants, and Lamb feasts outside — just ask Chiefs All-Pro corner Trent McDuffie, who spent Thanksgiving getting torched by No. 88.
It’s pick-your-poison at its finest.
And that’s before mentioning running back Javonte Williams and a resurgent ground attack that’s rounding into form at the perfect time.
Thursday night at Ford Field, the Lions will get their turn to solve the riddle. Schottenheimer just told them exactly what’s coming… and smiled while doing it.
George Pickens is running slants. The Cowboys are daring the NFL to stop it.
Good luck, Detroit.
The slant heard ‘round the league is coming. And the Cowboys can’t wait to run it right down your throat.