Under fire for a lack of effort and then some tone-deaf comments to the media earlier in the week, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens responded in a major way Saturday in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
After getting some backing from head coach Mike Tomlin through the media on Wednesday though receiving some criticism for how he handles the media, Pickens rewarded the belief from his head coach. He hauled in four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Steelers a significant spark.
On the second play from scrimmage, Pickens caught a slant pass from quarterback Mason Rudolph and raced home for an 86-yard touchdown. Later on in the first half, Pickens made an absurd 44-yard catch down the left sideline with an impressive toe-tap catch. That led to a Chris Boswell field goal and a 24-0 lead at the half.
Then, in the second half after Cincinnati’s 81-yard touchdown by Tee Higgins, Pickens and Rudolph responded with a 66-yard touchdown, putting together a career day.
For Tomlin, Pickens’ performance showed just how talented he is, and his response to the criticism and the challenge was appropriate, according to video via Steelers.com.
“Today, man, he made some splash plays that was needed. His pedigree showed no doubt,” Tomlin said.
The splash plays came in bunches for the second-year receiver. He’s had some big plays throughout the season and has been a tantalizing talent. Sometimes there’s been issues with attitude on the sideline when not involved offensively, and then the lack of effort on the run play. But on Saturday night against the Bengals Pickens put together a complete performance in a career night.
That’s a testament to the professional that he aspires to be and the talent that he is at the position. Though he was under fire for his lack of effort and then the comments to the media, Pickens’ performance wasn’t all that big of a surprise to teammates, and his response to the tumultuous week was appreciated by his teammates.
“A heck of a game. But you know, that’s what he does. And so to see him come out and respond like that was huge,” OLB Alex Highsmith said to reporters, according to video via Steelers.com. “He put his head down and worked and those results showed today.”
It’s a great step in the right direction for Pickens. There is no denying the talent there. It’s just about tapping into that talent consistently, getting the dominant Pickens week after week, the one who is locked in at all times, aiming to do whatever it takes to win games. It’s a learning process for the young receiver, no doubt.
He learned some hard lessons, but adversity can shape people. Hopefully the tough week he went through off the field helps shape him positively moving forward and has the type of impact it had on him Saturday.
