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Mailbag: More targets for Pickens, Ferguson?

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(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

I really thought we would see more production from George Pickens and Jake Ferguson during the opening game. CeeDee Lamb is a great player, but they seemed to go his way too often. Do you think that's because of scheme design, Dak Prescott's confidence in CeeDee, or was CeeDee the only open player? – Frank Biehn/Chandler, AZ

Patrik: I do believe there's an element of overreaction that I'm seeing regarding targets to Pickens. What I mean by that is simple: ride the hot hand and when that hot hand belongs to CeeDee Lamb, all the better. Lamb was virtually untouchable in the first half against the Eagles, and there was nothing to indicate he'd suffer the critical drops in the second half; and there's also the fact Pickens was drawing added coverage which helped Lamb have what might've been a monster game if not for the drops. As the weeks roll along, you'll likely see an organic pendulum wherein Pickens will sometimes outperform Lamb statistically and, in any other given week, the inverse will occur. I'd let that dynamic play out, but I'm not concerned. As for the targets to Jake Ferguson, they were there, but not as early as I thought but, again, Lamb was off to a lethal start which delayed Prescott looking for Ferguson. In all, I'm not concerned there, either.

Tommy: Let's go back to the George Pickens trade. What were we all saying back then when the Cowboys pulled the trigger on it? Something along the lines of "Man, this is going to open things up for CeeDee." Well, sure enough it did because he got targeted 13 times. If you can throw the ball to the best receiver on your team 13 times and give him a chance, you do that every single week no matter what. Well, why was Dak Prescott able to target Lamb 13 times? Because defenses now have to consider the threat of guys like Pickens and Ferguson more than they would have some of the other skill guys in the past. That aspect of the game is where Dallas' offense can benefit the most from the trade, because it opens things up not only for Lamb but for everybody.

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