The Pittsburgh Steelers always seem to have some kind of drama going on. Right now, the biggest issue they seem to have is with George Pickens. Pickens has shown he can still be excellent on the field, but he’s had some attitude problems recently. He’s still a young, ascending player, though, so perhaps the Steelers can get him back on track. Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus believes they desperately need to.
“Without Pickens, this is a totally limited offense, especially when it comes to the passing game,” Sikkema said recently on PFF’s podcast. “You could say to yourself, ‘Okay, maybe they can run the ball a little bit more if they don’t want to have Pickens in the game, if there’s something going on.’ They can’t run the ball any more than they are right now.
“They’re third in the NFL in rushing attempts at 165, and yet, after having the volume, they’re 23rd in EPA per rush, they’re 23rd in yards after contact per attempt, and they’re 27th in yards before contact per attempt.”
Sikkema isn’t wrong. Pickens has been the biggest, and sometimes only, threat on the Steelers’ offense. Over the first few weeks of the season, their run game looked a little better, but recently, they haven’t been able to do anything. That’s led to their offense becoming stagnant.
The past two weeks provide perfect examples of what the offense looks like with and without Pickens. Against the Indianapolis Colts, Pickens had seven catches for 113 yards, his best game of the year so far. Part of the reason why he was able to produce so much is because the Steelers couldn’t run the ball. They ended up in a hole early on, and Pickens and Justin Fields almost dug them out of it.
Pickens also had a big fumble in that game, but he played great besides that. Compare that performance to what he did against the Dallas Cowboys. Pickens finished with only three catches for 26 yards. He seemed disinterested on some of his routes, frustration setting in. No one else on offense was able to step up, and the Steelers lost to the wounded Cowboys.
In every other game this year, Pickens has made at least one big play. He’s been a threat that other teams needed to respect. If the Steelers lose that element of their offense, they become predictable and easy to stop. Without a consistent run game or better support from other pass catchers, the Steelers could be in trouble on offense.
That’s why it’s important to not give up on Pickens yet. He still has so much potential and has been a key to any success the offense has. He might be dealing with some issues right now, but there’s no reason why he can’t right the ship. This week, against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pickens has an opportunity to prove all his doubters wrong. If he does that, then maybe the noise surrounding him will die down. If he doesn’t, the next few weeks could get interesting, and not in a good way.
