Cowboys HC addresses benching CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens for start of Raiders game

"Monday Night Football" viewers were surprised to see Dallas Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the sidelines for the club's first offensive series versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

After the Cowboys improved to 4-5-1 via a dominant 33-16 victory at Allegiant Stadium, Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed that disciplinary action. 

Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens "missed" some things before Raiders game

"There were some things that were missed, so had a conversation with those guys, and that was easy," Schottenheimer explained, per Todd Archer of ESPN. "But you look at the energy those guys play with, they literally jump-started the offense when they got back in. They didn't hang their heads, didn't do any of that stuff. That's why I love those guys, man."

Schottenheimer declined to reveal exactly what had been "missed," and neither player elaborated on what occurred while speaking with media members following Monday's contest. Lamb scored the game's first touchdown in the second quarter, and Schottenheimer subsequently celebrated that grab with the two wideouts. 

Pickens also found the end zone ahead of halftime in what became a rout. 

Jerry Jones sings George Pickens' praises after blowout win over Raiders

Pickens ultimately led the Cowboys with nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown on Monday. Meanwhile, Lamb contributed five catches for 66 yards and a score. 

According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after the victory that he was proud of how Pickens and Lamb responded to the benching. Jones also offered high praise for Pickens. 

"Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there," Jones added during his postgame comments. "It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet."

Pickens remains in the final year of his contract, and a recent report revealed that "there's a strong likelihood that the Cowboys" will retain his rights for 2026 via the franchise tag. Against a Raiders team that fell to 2-8, Pickens and Lamb played like one of the league's elite one-two punches. 

Pickens, Lamb and the rest of the Cowboys will now prepare for the club's home game versus the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) on Sunday afternoon. As of Tuesday morning, ESPN BET had Dallas as a 3.5-point underdog for that matchup.