LAS VEGAS \u2014 In a league where superlatives fly faster than a Dak Prescott deep ball, even Jerry Jones had to pause for breath. The Dallas Cowboys’ owner, general manager and perpetual hype machine was left searching for words after wide receiver George Pickens torched the Las Vegas Raiders’ secondary for a career-night Monday on “Monday Night Football.” The result? A 38-20 dismantling of the reeling Raiders that propelled Dallas back into the NFC playoff conversation and turned Pickens into the talk of the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’ve never seen a performance like George Pickens had on Monday night,” Jones gushed to reporters outside the Cowboys’ locker room at Allegiant Stadium, his signature drawl laced with genuine astonishment. “That kid\u2026 he was unguardable. The way he attacked those throws, the contested catches, the yards after \u2014 it was like watching prime Randy Moss out there. Proud of him, proud of this group.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jones wasn’t alone in the reverence. Pickens, the 24-year-old former second-round pick acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers at the trade deadline in a move that raised eyebrows across the league, erupted for 12 receptions on 15 targets, racking up 189 yards and two touchdowns. His highlight-reel grab \u2014 a one-handed, 32-yard dagger over Raiders cornerback Jack Jones in the third quarter \u2014 sent the traveling Cowboys faithful into delirium and social media into overdrive. It was Pickens’ third 100-yard game since joining Dallas, pushing his season totals to a blistering 61 catches for 953 yards and eight scores through 11 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n