The Dallas Cowboys finally found their Luigi to CeeDee Lamb's Mario.
Speaking Tuesday from training camp in Oxnard, Calif., new Cowboys receiver George Pickens compared himself and Lamb to the legendary Nintendo duo.
"Oh yeah, for sure," Pickens responded when asked if he and Lamb can be the best wideout tandem in the NFL. "Just different type of styles of play. A lot of people over the years got different styles of play, but CeeDee's a certain type of guy, then I'm a certain type of guy. So, when you mesh that together, it's like Mario Bros. We definitely can do something special."
Lamb is undoubtedly one of the top five receivers in the NFL. How the Cowboys land in terms of top duos -- Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins currently sit atop the argument -- depends on Pickens' production in his first year in Dallas. Through his first three seasons, Pickens has flashed immense talent but has lacked consistency.
The 24-year-old noted Tuesday that he's looking forward to how he fits in Brian Schottenheimer's offense.
"Yeah, I'm definitely excited to run better plays, for sure," he said, a clear shot at his time in Pittsburgh.
It's hard to argue with Pickens' frustration over his time in Pittsburgh. He spent two years running Matt Canada's overmatched offense with Kenny Pickett at the helm. Even last year with Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith, Pickens was mostly restricted to boundary routes and 50/50 balls. There were few easy, over-the-middle or mid-range chances for Pickens to gobble up gimme yards, especially after the catch.
Entering the final year of his contract, Pickens should get to run a more diverse route tree next to Lamb. We'll see if that opens up his game or if he remains a clear second fiddle in Dallas.
