So, that’s what they meant by the George Pickens experience? Got it.

It’s hard to put into words how great Pickens has been for the Dallas Cowboys this season. He’s been excellent all year, and the red flags you heard out of Pittsburgh had hardly made an appearance. Unfortunately, they showed up in Thursday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions.

While Pickens didn’t act up on the field, his effort appeared lackluster in real time, and former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman took the 24-year-old wide receiver to task on Amazon’s postgame show, accusing him of being “disengaged” and “uninterested in playing football”.

Pickens responded to Sherman after the loss, and while he didn’t go after Sherman personally, he made an excuse that won’t sit well with Cowboys fans.

“Definitely for myself, personally, you can’t disappear … As a reporter or whatever his job holds, and he played ball, he has to understand the type of defense they played as well,” Pickens said, via Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Cowboys’ WR George Pickens blames Lions coverage for quiet Week 14

There’s some substance to Pickens’ response. The Lions had a great game plan to limit Pickens’ impact. But ultimately, his quiet night boiled down to poor effort.

Pickens ran lazy routes all game. One target from Dak Prescott in the first half was broken up because he didn’t attack the football, and the same issue resurfaced on Dallas’ first drive after halftime. Pickens showed no urgency on his signature slant route, which has been unstoppable all season, and flat-out dropped the pass. The ball popped into the air for an easy interception.

Trailing 20-9. The Cowboys desperately needed points on that drive. Presented with a short field, the Lions made Dallas pay two plays later to take a 27-9 lead. Here’s a look at the INT.

Pickens’ effort came into question again late in the fourth quarter with the Cowboys trailing 44-30. The game was essentially over, but Pickens didn’t even attempt to chase down a deep ball from Dak Prescott that looked catchable. The pass landed maybe three yards beyond his final stride, and the replay is a terrible look for the fourth-year pro. Cowboys fans have watched him make far tougher catches than that this season.

Again, the Lions came in with a great game plan. But Pickens appeared to check out mentally for whatever reason. That’s why he finished as Dallas’ fourth-leading receiver with five catches for 37 yards. This is what drew the ire of Steelers fans during his three years in Pittsburgh.

Pickens has been exceptional all year for the Cowboys, but Thursday night was a harsh reminder that these low-effort games happen every so often. That it came amidst the best stretch of his career and in the biggest game of the season makes it really difficult to swallow.