FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys (2-4) are in a rut offensively.

After their last two primetime losses against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24-16) and the Green Bay Packers (23-13) in Weeks 5 and 6, the Cowboys have now scored fewer than 20 points in consecutive Dak Prescott starts for the first time since 2019, Jason Garrett's last year as the team's head coach. 

One of the issues plaguing current Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer's offense is Dallas' 31st-ranked rushing offense (76.0 rushing yards per game). The Cowboys have run the football on a league-low 32.5% of their plays, and on Thursday, Schottenheimer criticized Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens for his effort as run blocker and how hard he runs when Dallas is trying to run the ball. Dallas' head coach and offensive play-caller feels it is harder to succeed in selling the run to set up play-action passes, with Pickens showing what Schottenheimer perceives as effort that needs improvement on run plays.

After practice on Friday, Pickens chose to deflect from directly addressing his head coach's comments and to focus on what the entire Cowboys offense needs to do to fix their lagging run game. His 1,429 receiving yards in 2025 ranked third in the NFL, and his 428 this season sit outside of the top 10 at No. 12 in the league.

"I feel like, like I said, as a team, I feel like run, pass, a lot of stuff, you know what I mean? One week, it was you guys [the media] were saying defense [needs improvement]; one week you're saying this," Pickens said. "I feel like if you narrow the comments down, you're talking about the team. So most definitely, I feel like as a team, just keep improving."   

Since the Cowboys acquired Pickens in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers in May of 2025, he and fellow Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have become fast friends. Lamb hasn't seen any dip from Pickens despite comments made by people inside or outside the Cowboys' facility about Dallas' explosive wideout.

"I don't think about it [the criticism]. I hang around GP more than pretty much anyone in this building, and I'm always going to be on his side. To answer your question [Lamb shrugged, tilted his head and gave a wry grin]. We're cool man," Lamb said Friday. "He [Pickens] comes in ready to work every opportunity. It doesn't seem to bother him. It's not like we sit around and talk about the bad things people say. As far as his approach, coming to work and being the same guy every single day, he still does it."  

Why the Cowboys offense needs to be focused on balance to see explosive plays return

Generating explosive plays in both the run and pass games could also help bring the run game back to life. The Cowboys' 34 explosive plays, which TruMedia defines as catches of 16 or more yards and runs of 12 or more yards, rank 22nd in the NFL entering Week 7. Last season, Dallas had 127 explosive plays, the seventh most in the NFL. Just over 73% of those explosives in 2025 were on pass plays (93), with Pickens accounting for over a third of those explosive catches with 34 in 2025, the fourth most in the NFL. Entering Week 7 this season, Pickens' 10 explosive receptions rank 17th in the league. 

So what does Pickens need to do to get involved early in games? In his mind, he's already doing it. 

"I'm doing what they're telling me to do," Pickens said. "So, [keep] doing what they tell me to do."  

He also feels that having a more balanced offense could help create the explosives and the big plays to himself and others. The 25-year-old mentioned how, when playing college football video games, some teams will have their offenses listed as "Air Raid" or "Ground and Pound." Pickens' preferred offense would be one that is labeled "balanced." He also disputed the need to have the ball in his hands right away on game day to get in the flow of the action. 

"I wouldn't really say that because ... [if] you can run the ball, [if] you can pass it, it's more about balance. It's not really about me or anyone else," Pickens said. "As a team, how would you run your offense or how you run your defense even if you're playing a video game?"

Execution, just making plays plain and simple, could also be a quick fix. The Cowboys have been blitzed more often as of late, and they haven't been able to set up quarterback Dak Prescott to succeed nearly as well on those plays when it comes to blocking and being on the same page when the pressure comes. In 2025, Prescott's passer rating when blitzed was 103.8. This year, it's down to 89.1.

"Execute properly. 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," Lamb said. "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."

The Pickens effect

Having the explosives back in the Cowboys' offense could help Dallas rediscover the spark and offensive rhythm it had in Year 1 under Schottenheimer last season. Pickens getting the football is a big part of that. 

"I think it would help my teammates tremendously. As far as me, Javonte [Williams], Turp [KaVontae Turpin], Flo [Ryan Flournoy], Cee [CeeDee Lamb], Ferg [Jake Ferguson], anybody we can get going early, I feel like we'll spark off of it. That's why I'm saying more balance, you know what I mean?"

Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams agreed, saying he can feel the edge and excitement when Pickens makes a big play and begins to trash talk the defense despite being all the way up in the coach's box on game day. 

"I think the intention has certainly been there. It's been part of the discussion when you're putting together plays early," Adams said on Friday. "One of the things that we started seeing at the end of last season is that we're seeing a little bit, or a lot a bit, we're getting played differently than what we're seeing on tape. So there have been games this year where the first quarter has been like 'alright, that's not what we were planning on seeing, we need to get to X,Y,Z.' Sometimes a lot of coaching on game day gets you out of your planned openers, or there are times where he is drawing a double early, and putting him and CeeDee on the same side where you're going to get three coverage pieces, sometimes it's difficult to get him the ball in those scenarios."

"The best way to answer that is I have to do a better job of making sure he gets it [the ball] because he is a bright spot for us when he has the ball in his hands," Adams continued. "And for a lack of a better term, talking shit to the defense. I know that I get excited."

Prescott called Pickens' edge "infectious" and something that gives the Cowboys key momentum. 

"We just have to get him the ball early, I definitely think that would help," Prescott said Friday. ... "He's a guy who is infectious to the team when he catches the ball. Whether it be a celebration or run after catch, it's good momentum we can build off of."  

So how can Dallas scheme up early looks to Pickens? One option is putting him and Lamb on the same side of the formation, and then freeing Pickens up off a route that pulls him away from the gravity Lamb draws. Another way would be getting him the football early underneath on a screen, something Adams acknowledged as a legitimate option. 

"If you know you're going to put those two guys [Lamb and Pickens] on the same side and get a certain coverage, that's a way to do it," Adams said. "Guys like CeeDee, we sometimes give him the sweep [run play], that's an easy way to do it. I think just kind of brainstorming through the easiest vision that you can get a guy is sometimes the best one. Sometimes if you think you can ensure they're not getting coverage over the top, those guys like when you throw the fade ball toward them."

Regardless, the Cowboys need to rediscover how to maximize all the playmaking talent they have on offense ASAP, starting with their "Monday Night Football" matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) with the NFC East up for grabs. This season's NFC East became the first division ever to go winless in consecutive weeks with a combined 0-6-2 record since Week 5, but the Cowboys know their chance to capitalize on their rivals' slip ups is now or never.

"I would say determined, and I hope urgent. We can only say, 'We've got a lot of games in front of us' for so long," Prescott said of the Cowboys' mindset. "Might be already past us, right?  We've got to go win. You want to give yourself a chance to be a winning team, to be a playoff team, you got to win as many games as you can. And when you drop two games, and particularly games that we didn't expect to drop, it makes it that much harder. So, urgent. Urgent to get it done now."