WR George Pickens struggled to make an impact on Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys in part due to his own struggles and problems created by his offense, a passing game stagnant for years. But it didn’t help that Pickens spent 40 percent of the game on the sidelines. Reacting to a season-low snap count, former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger can’t figure out the Steelers’ rationale.
“So, just me guessing, is it some form of punishment?” Roethlisberger said. “Because of me wondering, just wondering, meetings, practice time, not giving it all in practice. Is this Coach [Tomlin], is it punishment? He says no, but if he’s arguably one of your best offensive players, why is he not out there? So, there’s just a little bit of head scratch.”
Officially, Pickens logged 59 percent of the Steelers’ snaps against the Cowboys. That was a season-low, as were his 34 total snaps. It left him with just two first-half targets and three receptions by the game’s end, finishing with the same production as WR Van Jefferson while RB Najee Harris “led” the team with 35 yards through the air.
After the game, Tomlin cited a desire to keep Pickens fresh as the reason he was rotated so much. He was adamant there wasn’t an underlying factor as to why Pickens got cozy with the bench even as Van Jefferson logged 13 more snaps than him. Pickens’ frustration was clear throughout the game, and for the second week, teammates had to try to calm him down.
Instead of trying to make it work with the current group, Roethlisberger thinks Pittsburgh needs to make a move to give Pickens help.
“I think you should get a No. 2 in here that could help George because every Batman needs a Robin. I don’t know. I don’t understand. There needs to be a reason why one of your best players is on the field for 59 percent of the plays. Just let us know what it is. I have no idea what it is.”
During Monday’s episode, Roethlisberger thought acquiring Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams was unrealistic, though he believed such a move would make Pittsburgh Super Bowl contenders. The truth is somewhere in between. Adding Adams is unlikely but plausible and it probably wouldn’t make the Steelers immediate contenders.
If there was something behind the scenes, Roethlisberger thinks the team could’ve sent a similar message but not officially starting Pickens and not having him run out of the tunnel among the announced starters (though I’m not even sure if the team chose to announce the offense or defense for this game).
While Pittsburgh’s usage is curious, we’ll have to check the charting and data. It’s become common this year for Pickens not to play in run-heavy personnel groupings. For example, he hasn’t seen much time in 13 personnel and other tight-end heavy sets. In Week 1, Jefferson out-snapped Pickens for similar reasons. It’s fair and easy to disagree with Pittsburgh’s plan, but it doesn’t suggest punishment. Incompetence, perhaps, but not punishment.
Whether the reason was personal or professional, Roethlisberger could sense Pickens’ growing angst in the offense.
“I saw at the end of the game he grabbed a guy’s face mask and pulled him down. There’s just some stuff that’s going on that you’re like, man, is that the frustration? The eye black? I know Mr. Rooney probably didn’t love that.”
After the final failed lateral attempt, Pickens got into it with Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis, pulling him down by the facemask, which led to a brief dust-up before everyone exited the field.
In the tunnel, Lewis called Pickens “weak” and said the Steelers needed to add another receiver. The eye black used some colorful language to send a clear message to throw him the ball. Instead, he had his worst game of the year.
For the Steelers offense to function, the run game has to be more effective and efficient, and Pickens must be central to the offense in scheme and production. Right now, neither of those things is happening, leaving this offense—and Ben Roethlisberger—with more questions than answers.
