George Pickens, the wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is back in the news following a strange performance in a Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
In the Sunday night game at Acrisure Stadium, Pickens did not seem to be responding well to his limited snap total. He also showed poor body language and a lack of effort. When asked about the situation on Thursday, the often erratic receiver did not appear to be in much better mood. He clarified that his overall amount of opportunities was “just part of the game structure, game plan.”
Pickens responded, “No,” when asked if he thought he could get more snaps. That is not my fault. Everything is up to Art.
Speaking with reporters on the subject on Thursday, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith tried to justify Pickens’ use by citing previous strategies he used with A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry while he was a member of the Titans. Smith told them he is “certainly done it with other premium players” before stating he was aware of the scrutiny that follows a defeat.
However, Smith’s response lacked a convincing justification for Pickens’ limitations. Rather, he explained, the goal was to “maximize snaps” using various personnel packages, which he described as “week to week things.”
This is not the same as substituting a receiving back on third down for a massive running back. Although Pickens is by far the team’s greatest receiver, he only played 59 percent of the snaps in Week 5. The Steelers are noticeably lacking in elite receiving talent. Justin Fields finished with a mediocre passing line against the Cowboys: 15 of 27 for 131 yards and two passing touchdowns to tight ends. This comes after Fields threw for 312 yards in a close defeat to the Colts in Week 4.
The Steelers only scored 17 points and lost 20–17 in the closing seconds, despite forcing three turnovers. To put it simply, they appeared to have the opportunity to utilize their best receiver to set up some exciting plays, but instead they only employed him on 34 offensive snaps.
Pickens’ personality has garnered a lot of attention throughout his time with the Steelers, so it was expected that he would be questioned about whether he has improved in managing difficult circumstances, particularly those involving officials.
“I would not really say that,” Pickens responded. It is all the referees fault. That
You can see where the referees are for this season from there.
On the sidelines during the defeat, Pickens also hurled his helmet in despair, which attracted extra attention. His response was blatantly straightforward: “A lot of fans are mad as well when it is third down and you do not convert.”
Pickens started the evening by writing “Open f—ing always” on his eye black tape, making it obvious to everyone who looked closely. On a damp field, he then caught three of his seven targets for 26 yards.
On a rainy Pittsburgh evening. Despite catching seven passes for 113 yards in the Week 4 loss, he has only once over 100 receiving yards through five games. Additionally, he has not yet scored a touchdown.
Pickens’s possible dissatisfaction is validated by the numbers. In response to a question from reporters on Thursday on his knowledge of the NFL’s policy against eye black messages, he pled ignorance and said he had “never seen it before.” However, the backlash from his choice of messaging has not helped his cause.
Pickens was equally brief when pressed, bringing up a punishment that teammate Cameron Heyward had earned for wearing eye black in memory of his late father back in 2015.
“A long time ago? when I was not a member of the team?” stated Pickens. “So, nah.”
At the moment, Pittsburgh is ranked 26th in scoring, 27th in passing yards per game, and 23rd in yards per game. Although Fields’ performance has exceeded most expectations, it is evident that the Steelers’ offensive output is lacking.
They will need to use every weapon to the fullest extent possible to accomplish it, starting with Pickens.On Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
