The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t work hard enough to put second-year WR George Pickens in better positions to make positive contributions on offense. And he doesn’t always handle his frustration with this in the most productive ways. Both of these things can be true. And the former doesn’t have to be the solution to the latter.
Once again, Pickens was visibly upset during the Steelers’ 21-18 loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday night, during which he was only targeted six times on low-productivity opportunities. He caught five of those passes for all of 19 yards with a long of seven.
“I tried to talk to G on the sideline. Obviously, he’s frustrated. We’re all frustrated”, QB Mitch Trubisky told reporters following Thursday’s game, via the team’s website. “Game didn’t go down how we wanted it. We’d like to get him the ball more, get him going. He’s a special talent”, he continued, before trailing off while touching on what could be once they figure out how best to utilize him.
“Everyone’s got to manage their emotions”, the temporary starter added. “We’ve got to drive in the same direction in order to be successful. But he cares, man. He cares, and he shows it in different ways, and those frustrations come out, but everyone’s frustrated. But I talk to him, give him some time”.
At this point, Pickens’ composure during games is just out in the open, not that he gives the team much of an option otherwise. The cameras regularly catch him making his discontent visible. Fortunately, that is usually when the team is losing and not just when he isn’t making enough plays in a winning effort.
Trubisky isn’t the only teammate who talked openly about trying to work with Pickens about channeling his frustrations and managing them better. WR Diontae Johnson did the same, though what good it did I have no idea.
But that has been an ongoing narrative, one that’s gone on long enough to reasonably deduce things aren’t going to change. It’s hard to say what negative effects, if any, Pickens’ attitude might have on the team, but it’s clear how much the offense’s failure to get him the ball more often in more opportune situations is hurting.
I really don’t think it’s a matter of debate that the Steelers are not sufficiently exploiting his talents. While he might not always channel it in the most helpful and productive ways, he has every reason and justification to be frustrated.
His game may not be complete, but he has already sufficiently proven his ability to be a playmaker if given sufficient structure around him that would allow him to excel. Part of it has been play calling. Part of it has been protection issues. But a lot of it has just been the quarterback position. And that’s not going to change before the end of the season.
