Ben Roethlisberger has praised the skill and raw ability that WR George Pickens has, traits fully on display in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams. But he’s also mentioned that Pickens is prone to getting frustrated and making crucial mistakes. After yesterday’s performance, Roethlisberger is again making that point.
On the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast, Roethlisberger gave his thoughts on the pair of penalties Pickens picked up yesterday: one for an illegal blindside block, the other for taunting/unsportsmanlike conduct.
“We probably need to talk at some point about the negative plays by receivers in terms of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties,” Roethlisberger said. “George, again. And that could have been crucial. He gets a big play and then does a taunt and Mike pats him on the butt, tells him to get back in there. I just don’t know how long do we allow that to keep happening? Because it didn’t end up hurting the team. But what if it did?”
The taunt Roethlisberger’s referring to was Pickens’ second penalty of the game. Early in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 17, Pickens caught an 18-yard pass from QB Kenny Pickett for a first down. But he got in the face of the Rams’ defender after the play, earning a flag. The first down stood but the pickup was wiped out, a net gain of just three yards. Here, you can see Pickens jaw with Rams DB Russ Yeast, who he hit on the illegal blindside block earlier in the game.
As Roethlisberger says, the penalty didn’t ultimately cost the Steelers the win. Pittsburgh overcame it and continued to march downfield with Pickens hauling in a 21-yard pass that helped set up a RB Najee Harris touchdown. Had the Steelers lost that game for any reason, the penalties on Pickens and WR Diontae Johnson would’ve been front and center.
Roethlisberger did give Pickens grace for his first penalty, an illegal blindside block late in the first quarter. Johnson caught a short pass and ran horizontally, able to gain the edge and turn upfield for a first down on 3rd and 9 that would’ve put the Steelers inside the Rams’ 10. But Pickens was flagged for a blindside block on Yeast, injuring him (though he would return). The flag wiped out the catch and conversion, putting Pittsburgh in 3rd and 17. QB Kenny Pickett’s ensuing pass fell incomplete, and the Steelers had to settle for a 53-yard field goal from K Chris Boswell.
“I don’t think he was trying to hurt anybody,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t think he was trying to do anything. Now, he’s gotta know the rules.”
The hit certainly wasn’t malicious, and Pickens attempted to pull up at the end. But the NFL offers no wiggle room for these types of hits. No one can do what Hines Ward did anymore. And this predictably drew a flag.
But Roethlisberger’s frustrations came through on the taunting call. Not only does he think Pickens has to be smarter, he suggested Mike Tomlin needs to put an end to it before it costs the team a game.
“I think what’s gonna happen is it might get talked about in the meeting. It might. Coach Tomlin might just, ‘See that rug’ and lift that up and sweep it under there,” Roethlisberger said. “I’ve seen him do it in the past with guys. I’ll put up with you until I can replace you.”
Though Roethlisberger didn’t name names, it certainly seemed like a pointed comment at his former head coach. Granted, Roethlisberger and Tomlin worked together for 15 years, longer than nearly any coach/quarterback tandem in history, so he’s probably seen Tomlin come down hard on guys and give them a pass. But he seems to be referencing players like Antonio Brown, supreme talents who got to play by their own set of rules. For Roethlisberger, he doesn’t want these penalties to become an ongoing issue that haunts a team with little margin for error.
“It seems like it’s almost every week that we’re having something like that happen…do we just keep allowing that stuff?” he said. “You’ve gotta put a stop to it now before it gets out of control.”
After the game, Mike Tomlin chalked it up to a teachable moment but noted he’d rather say to his players “whoa than sic ’em,” a common phrase he uses meaning he prefers to reign players in than try to bring out an edge in their game. Roethlisberger has made similar comments about Pickens before. After his rookie season, he noted that Pickens had all the talent of the world but hoped he would “stay focused, stay dialed in.”
Per NFLpenalties.com, Pickens has five total penalties this season (one of which was offsetting for his scuffle against the Houston Texans). That ties Seattle Seahawks’ DK Metcalf for the most total penalties in football by a wide receiver. In his rookie year, Pickens finished the season with five penalties, again among the most in his position group. Roethlisberger came down strongly on these post-snap actions but made clear that if Pickens can eliminate them, he’ll become a great player.
“George Pickens is a[n] absolute animal. He’s a game changer. He’s a difference maker,” Roethlisberger said. “But gotta get under control before it gets out of control…I just don’t wanna see someone with that much talent lose it like that. Because he is so good.”
You can watch the full episode of Roethlisberger’s latest podcast below.
