Say what you will about George Pickens, but he regularly makes the impossible possible. However, not every mind-boggling play he makes is good. Against the New York Giants in Week 8, he managed to tap one foot twice in the end zone but couldn’t bring his other foot down to complete the catch. It left everyone confused, even Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni.
“We was like, ‘How do you even do that?’” Steelers WR Calvin Austin III said Thursday on Christian Kuntz’s podcast. “That’s pressure. That’s full amount of weight on each [foot tap]. I don’t know if that works. But even Coach [Azzanni], we didn’t know that was a thing. That’s something everybody learned. I guess it’s two different feet.”
It’s funny to hear that even players and coaches thought Pickens completed the catch. In the moment, it did seem bizarre, but upon further review, the referees made the right call. The rule does state that both, not one twice, feet need to come down. It’s odd when you consider that one knee or one thigh makes a catch count, but rules are rules.
Pickens also probably shouldn’t receive much blame for that play. He was already making a difficult catch, with two defenders about to hit him. The fact that he remained strong and held on to the ball is impressive on its own. Pickens absorbed a big hit, and an object in motion stays in motion. Dragging that other foot is easier said than done.
Kuntz had his own opinion on the play.
“They’re gonna change that,” Kuntz said. “I’m telling you. It’s gonna be called the George Pickens Rule.”
It will be interesting to see if the NFL alters the catch rule this offseason. Considering how many people thought Pickens’ catch should’ve been called complete, the league might at least look at it or try to make sure it’s clear. It wouldn’t be the first time that a Steeler prompted the catch rule being changed. Here’s looking at you, Jesse James.
However, it might be a stretch to say that the league will definitely make that change. What is and is not a catch has always been heavily discussed, and Pickens’ play might just have been a freak occurrence. After all, there’s a reason no one knew it didn’t actually count. It’s rare to see a receiver tap one foot twice, but not be able to drag the other toe.
Stranger rule changes have happened though. It would be a mistake to say that the NFL making this alteration is impossible, but even if it is, Pickens isn’t a stranger to beating the odds. It is a little different from making a circus catch on the sideline though. Kuntz seems to believe it’s very possible, and we’ll see if he’s right this offseason.
