While WR George Pickens played less than Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, QB Justin Fields was trying to keep Pickens engaged, telling reporters he was trying to “stay in his ear” and telling Pickens that the team was “gonna need you,” per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Twitter.
“I try to talk to him on the sideline, keep him up. I think that’s the biggest thing, keeping him going and just trying to talk to him throughout the whole game and just stay in his ear and say, ‘We’re going to need you to make a big play soon and when that happens, we’re
going to need you.’ So just biggest thing is just being patient and him waiting for the ball to come his way because at the end of the day, defenses know that we’re trying to give him the ball so they’re going to game plan and do what they can to try to stop that,” Fields said about Pickens via transcript provided by the team.
Fields also added he’s comfortable talking with Pickens since their relationship dates back to high school, so it makes it easier to have good communication.
That’s what a good leader should do, especially if he realized Pickens was frustrated. Pickens played every snap when the Steelers were in 11 personnel but was subbed out in heavier packages.
That’s a byproduct of him not being a key part of the team’s blocking scheme, with Mike Tomlin saying the blocking responsibilities lay more with Jefferson. That may just be a convenient excuse for why Pickens’ wasn’t playing, but it does make sense, although it may frustrate him to not be on the field when he’s supposed to be the team’s No. 1 receiver.
Fields likely understands that and made it a point to get ahead of things and try to keep Pickens engaged and ready for when his moment came. Of course, on a key 3rd and 4 that would’ve extended Pittsburgh’s drive after a blocked field goal, Pickens dropped a good throw from Fields. The Steelers had to punt, and Dallas then put together a 16-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to re-take the lead.
Per 93.7 The Fan on Twitter, Fields said that Pickens is just “passionate” about the game and it’s “tough” for him when he’s not making plays.
“He’s just passionate about the game,” Fields said. “He knows how great of a player it is, it’s tough.”
Pickens had just three receptions for 26 yards on the night, and his attitude became the story after wearing eye black that said “Open Fucking Always” and throwing CB Jourdan Lewis to the ground at the end of the game. While the Steelers insist that Pickens’ limited reps (he played just 34 snaps) were just a result of load management, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Pickens has repeatedly been late to work, and maybe the limited snaps were a form of punishment.
Either way, it was unexpected, and the Steelers are going to need to figure out a way to get Pickens more involved. Fields is doing his job as a quarterback and leader of the offense by continually trying to keep Pickens engaged and staying around him, getting his No. 1 receiver in the mindset to make a play. Pickens couldn’t capitalize when the opportunity came his way, but at least Fields was making an attempt to get Pickens ready to go.
