Winning cures everything. And for the Pittsburgh Steelers, winning is helping the team come together. For a locker room that’s had some issues this season, wide receiver George Pickens said the team is coming together, and it’s making things “feel different.” Pickens also talked about how camaraderie can help a team win championships.
“It feels different with guys coming together. I’ve been on a team where camaraderie wins championships. Guys are coming together for sure,” Pickens said via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter.
Pickens has been at the forefront of a lot of the off-the-field drama given his effort in Week 15 and social media activity following Week Nine, but he’s had back-to-back superb performances with Mason Rudolph under center. Over the past two weeks, Pickens has 11 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s emerged as Pittsburgh’s top option at wide receiver. The Steelers have also won both those games and put themselves in a position where a win in Week 18 gives them a decent shot at making the playoffs. Right now, all anyone’s talking about is Pittsburgh’s playoff chances, and Week 15 feels like it was months ago.
Pickens won a national championship at Georgia, and he’s right that camaraderie can be a big factor toward winning. If you know the guy to the left or right of you has your back and is going to fight for you, that’s going to make you want to fight even harder. Building that chemistry and camaraderie isn’t something that should take until Week 17, but the important thing is it’s there with this Steelers team right now.
It’s a crucial time, as if the Steelers lose in Week 18, they’re going to need a lot of help to make the playoffs. Now more than ever, it’s important for this team to stick together as a unit and fight for a common goal, which is to make the playoffs and win in the playoffs. Cameron Heyward said the Steelers know they’re talented enough to be a playoff team, so just making it won’t be a cause for celebration. I guess it’s better to come together and peak too early rather than too late. If the Steelers continue to come together and build relationships, hopefully, they’ll be able to get their first playoff win since 2016, if they can make it in.
