What happened: Ed Werder stated Friday that Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer made a calculated decision to publicly address George Pickens' inconsistent effort after previously deflecting the subject. Werder noted that Schottenheimer's public evaluation of Pickens centered on asking the wide receiver to reciprocate the work that running back Javonte Williams puts in for his teammates. Speaking on 105.3 The Fan, Schottenheimer also defended Pickens' route-running style while acknowledging the coaching staff needs to do a better job of moving him around to get him involved early in games.

Why it matters: Publicly challenging a primary perimeter target underscores the urgency for a 2-4 Dallas squad sitting 12th in the conference on a two-game losing streak following a 23-13 defeat at the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 18. Questions surrounding Pickens' buy-in have lingered since the offseason, when he skipped voluntary OTAs in June before being limited to individual work at the start of mandatory minicamp.

What to watch: Pickens is listed as questionable after being limited in Thursday's practice with a shoulder injury. If cleared to play, how the Cowboys script early touches for him and how he responds on run-blocking assignments will test Schottenheimer's public challenge.