George Pickens was a subject of criticism among fans and analysts for his underwhelming performance against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. The wide receiver made five catches for just 37 yards in the encounter as the Dallas Cowboys suffered a 44-30 loss at Ford Field.In his media availability on Monday, the Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer gave his verdict on Pickens after the loads of criticism stemming from the Lions game. The coach noted that he had a private discussion with the wide receiver and has no concerns about him.“We talked a little bit about it,” Schottenheimer said. "And again, he’s just, in his words, he goes, ‘Hey Shotty, I didn't play my best game.’ I think that, unfortunately, none of us played our best game. So that's real. But I don't worry about George and his love for football and playing this game.“For five or six weeks, he was the talk of the sporting world. ‘Look at George Pickens.’ We didn't coach or play well enough to win that game in Detroit. They beat us. It is what it is. We've had a couple of days to reset, refocus, and now we're onto Minnesota.”Schottenheimer went on to note that Pickens received extra attention from the Lions’ defense following the exit of CeeDee Lamb from the game. Lamb was forced out of the encounter with a concussion during the third quarter.Brian Schottenheimer spoke to George Pickens after Richard Sherman's fiascoThe criticism of George Pickens for his “uninterested” effort against the Lions by Richard Sherman led to an online exchange between the two, catching a lot of attention.Brian Schottenheimer said on Friday that he’d seen the post and planned to address it with Pickens. He declined to share specifics of their discussion before Monday’s press conference, repeatedly circling back to one central point about the wide receiver overall.“I talk to George about a lot of things," Schottenheimer said. "I’ll keep that between George and I. I love watching the guy play football. I’ll just kind of leave it at that. I think the guy has more fun playing football than most people.“I think when we do that, I think that’s usually a recipe when you’re as talented as he is that’s why he can impact games the way he does. Every time I’m around him, I know he just loves football. He loves playing football. It’s a place like most of these guys where they get to just be their true selves.”George Pickens has been a revelation in his first season with the Cowboys. He’s recorded 78 receptions for 1,179 yards and eight touchdowns. This has led to talks about tying him down with a new mega contract.