George Pickens does not need Dallas to promise him a certain number of targets. He needs the Cowboys to make the defense spend more effort figuring out where he is and what that location changes.
That was the most practical element of Brian Schottenheimer’s Monday assessment. Schottenheimer wants Pickens involved earlier, with defensive attention prompting Dallas to consider using the receiver in several positions. It was a proposed adjustment, not evidence that a new deployment had already been installed. Even so, the idea is sound: alignment can become part of the solution before a defense settles into its preferred answers.
That distinction matters. Moving Pickens will not guarantee catches, explosive gains or favorable coverage on every snap. It can require defenders to communicate, reconsider leverage and identify new responsibilities. Those details offer a practical reason to vary his position even when the ball goes elsewhere.
The standard should be whether the movement creates better choices for Dallas, rather than whether it produces a manufactured touch.
Green Bay showed why variety matters
Sunday’s 23-13 defeat at Green Bay left the Cowboys with an uncomfortable combination of problems. Dallas threw 54 passes and finished with 48 rushing yards. After scoring a third-quarter touchdown, the Cowboys had only one more rushing attempt. That left the offense increasingly dependent on Dak Prescott and the passing game while Green Bay could anticipate the broad shape of the challenge.
The raw totals need context. Schottenheimer explained that some plays initially called as runs became passes through run-pass checks after Dallas assessed the defensive front. A favorable throw can be the correct answer to an inviting front, and falling behind can make patience with the running game more difficult. The rushing figure alone does not prove that Dallas simply ignored an obvious solution.
It does show how quickly the offense can become constrained. Once a defense understands where a closely watched receiver is likely to begin, it can organize coverage and pressure with fewer surprises. Pickens’ alignment will not repair protection or create a running lane. It can help force the defense to reveal whether it is changing its structure or remaining comfortable.
That question connects directly to the blitz problem Schottenheimer identified. If Pickens is moved to another position, Dallas may learn whether the pressure package follows him, whether coverage adjusts around him or whether the defense leaves a matchup available. None of those possibilities guarantees a successful play. Each can give Prescott and the play caller a more useful pre-snap picture than a fixed alignment would.
