George Pickens has been a hot topic for Dallas Cowboys following their loss to the Detroit Lions.

Pickens, who has been unstoppable all season, had his worst game as a Cowboy in Week 14. He finished with just 37 yards on five receptions and was called out for his body language afterward.

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Richard Sherman went all-in during post-game coverage, saying Pickens looked uninterested. His criticism got the most attention, especially when Pickens responded, but he’s far from the only analyst saying Pickens is a problem.

On Sunday, however, someone stuck up for Pickens. Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith said Pickens was taken out of the game by Detroit, saying he “got everybody open.” Smith added that there was a lot being made out of nothing, while noting how well everyone else did around Pickens.

“But for me, listen, I went back and watched every snap of this and George Pickens. Honestly, I think we’re making a lot out of nothing,” Smith said.

“This guy got doubled all game. And when I mean doubled, I mean cloud. A corner hard inside at the line of scrimmage, safety over the top. And you used to see this all the time back in the day. CeeDee Lamb, there’s a reason he got so many targets in that first half. There was no help with him. It was man-on-man with no help for him all day. There’s a reason Ryan Flournoy got all those targets in the second half because, again, George Pickens was taking two. We saw it on the interceptions. Corner sitting hard inside. He’s trying to run slant. How many times have we seen him win on those?”

Alex Smith identified the true issue Cowboys must fix

Before diving into Pickens, Smith offered up his more pressing concern. He said the Cowboys have been really good at home, but when they leave Dallas, it’s a different story.

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After losing in Detroit, the Cowboys are now just 2-5 on the road compared to 4-1-1 at AT&T Stadium. That’s a major problem, especially since they’ll likely be on the road if they somehow sneak into the playoffs.

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