"Hats off to Brian Schottenheimer": Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones reveals reason behind George Pickens’ benching vs. Raiders in Week 11

George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were benched for the Dallas Cowboys' opening drive against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. The wide receiver duo took the field for the rest of the game and led the team to a 33-16 win while combining for 200+ receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones talked about Brian Schottenheimer's decision on Friday's episod of "105.3 The Fan."

"He's not going to play favorites with anybody," Jones said. "He felt very strongly about that, that was part of it. I think a lot of people thought they had to be together because they are great friends, but believe it or not, one was of the night before, leading into the morning, and the other one was missing the buses".

"Hats off to Schotty for being consistent, being real, and doing what was right for the team. Both guys responded like you would expect and went out and played their tails off."

George Pickens and Lamb violated the team's 10 p.m. curfew on Friday after dining and drinking at Red Rock Casino and missed the team bus to Allegiant Stadium on game day. The punishment kept both receivers on the sideline for Dallas' opening drive, which resulted in a three-and-out.

However, the duo seemed unstoppable once they entered the game. Pickens recorded a career-high nine receptions for 144 yards and a 37-yard touchdown. Lamb charted five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, his first in three games. After Lamb's touchdown, Schottenheimer was seen hugging both receivers on the sideline.

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Brian Schottenheimer gets honest about benching George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb

The Cowboys' coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed the reason behind benching the star wide receivers after the win over the Raiders. Schottenheimer refused to share particular details about the matter but acknowledged George Pickens and Lamb's understanding of the decision.

“There were some things that were missed, so had a conversation with those guys and that was easy,” Schottenheimer said, per ESPN. “But you look at the energy those guys play with, they literally jump-started the offense when they got back in. They didn’t hang their heads, didn’t do any of that stuff. That’s why I love those guys, man.”

Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones also said that he has no issues with partying, but the team trip was "a business trip" and shared his concerns about players being out late before games.

The Cowboys will host the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at 4:25 p.m.