Richard Sherman doesn’t hold back on George Pickens’ performance: “You can’t just disappear in these games”
The Cowboys’ postseason hopes suffered a major blow in Thursday’s defeat to the Lions - and Sherman singled out Pickens for blame.
Former NFL cornerback Richard Shermans has lambasted George Pickens’ performance in the Cowboys’ damaging defeat to the Lions in Thursday Night Football, branding the wide receiver “uninterested” and “disengaged”.
Pickens registered five receptions for just 37 receiving yards and no touchdowns at Ford Field, as Dallas’ playoff hopes took a major hit with a 44-30 loss.
The Week 14 reverse has left the 6-6-1 Cowboys adrift of the 8-4 Eagles in the race for the NFC East division title. What’s more, the five-time Super Bowl champions have a lot of work to do to even snatch a Wild Card spot.
Appearing as an analyst on Prime Video’s TNF coverage, Sherman described Pickens’ display as “the big story” of the Cowboys’ defeat in Detroit, laying into the 24-year-old for failing to step up in the absence of Dallas’ star WR, CeeDee Lamb.
“That’s what you can’t have”
“George Pickens, throughout the game, especially late in the game, just looked uninterested. Uninterested in playing football,” Sherman said.
“And that’s what you can’t have. If you’re going to be a superstar, if you want to be the best receive in the National Football League, you can’t ever be disengaged.
“It doesn’t matter if the game’s going your way or not going your way, you can’t just disappear in these games, or else you’re not going to have an impact.”
Accusing Pickens of “cruising”, Sherman then addressed the receiver directly, declaring: “You’re the guy! CeeDee Lamb is not in this game, he’s out! [...] You can’t be the guy if you half-ass it. I’m sorry, it’s unacceptable."
Lamb, who had accrued 121 receptions for 121 receiving yards and no TDs, exited the Lions game early in the third quarter in Michigan, after suffering a concussion as he attempted a catch.
What has Pickens said about Sherman jabs?
Speaking post-game, Pickens appeared to accept Sherman’s criticism. Per Dallas News’ Joseph Hoyt, he conceded: “For myself, personally, you can’t just disappear.”
Explaining that he found it hard to deal with the Lions’ defensive setup, Pickens added: “It just didn’t go our way.”
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