As we’ll do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-Factor of the week. Sometimes, it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X-Factor for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
X-Factor: WR George Pickens
I promise I’m not going to dwell on the storyline about his frustration, though you can bet it’ll come up early in the CBS broadcast on Sunday afternoon. Everything that could possibly be said about the situation has been, the course of a long layoff since the team’s Week Nine Thursday game, and I’m anxious to get back to talking about football.
But knowing how tough the last two weeks have been, it’s a reasonable bet the Steelers will be looking to get the ball to Pickens. Not force-feed him, not do anything to jeopardize winning, but Pickens is a blue-chip talent who has a winnable matchup this weekend. He’s a guy who deserves to get the football.
And this is a week to do it. The Packers are almost certainly going to be without top cornerback Jaire Alexander, doubtful with a shoulder injury. It leaves them perilously thin on the outside. There’s seventh-round rookie, Carrington Valentine, and Corey Ballentine, on his sixth NFL team since being drafted in 2019. Johnson and Pickens should eat off those matchups. If Green Bay is foolish enough to leave their corners isolated, Johnson can separate and Pickens can win contested.
Coming off two quiet weeks, some of which was Pickens’ fault, some of which can be blamed on other sources, but I’m betting their game plan will be to give Pickens the ball early. Expect the first time QB Kenny Pickett gets 1v1 coverage on the outside, he’s going to take a shot to Pickens either vertically or on a back-shoulder throw.
Football is about matchups. Scheme is important but the whiteboard only tells you so much. You need to focus on getting your playmakers the ball, especially when it can exploit the opponent’s weakness. This one is as obvious as any. Pittsburgh’s outside receivers against the Packers’ outside corners. The Steelers would be smart to take advantage of it. Doesn’t need to be anything complex. Just feed Pickens the ball, let him make plays, and put up points.
