Brian Schottenheimer reveals why CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens missed opening drive vs. Raiders

by: Barkley Truax 20 hours ago BarkleyTruax

Aug 22, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer gives directions prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens did not appear during the first drive of Dallas’ Monday Night Football game vs. the Raiders. Brian Schottenheimer said there were “a couple things missed” that led to them not appearing on the field at first.

A vague statement from the first-year Cowboys coach. It appears as though their mysterious benching will remain just that.

According to  ESPN  sideline reporter Lisa Salters during the game, this was a coach’s decision from Schottenheime himself: “It was not an injury related situation, it was strictly a coach’s decision. I asked, ‘was this punishment of some sort,’ and I was told, ‘you’ll have to address that with coach but all we can tell you is it was not injury related, it was strictly a coach’s decision.’”

Lamb was interviewed at his locker after the game and pressed on the matter. He said that he’s “not going in-depth with that,” while Pickens’ answer dodged the situation entirely and added a bit of humor to boot. He alluded to the Cowboys focusing possibly shifting focus to the run game during the opening drive.

It’s likely going to remain unclear what the Cowboys head coach means by that. That could mean team meetings,

Whatever it may be, the Cowboys cruised past the Raiders with a 33-16 victory. Pickens and Lamb still provided a major impact to the game as the pair combined for 210 yards and two touchdowns during the contest.

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