Week 11 wasn’t Russell Wilson’s best performance with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he still did enough to help them win the game. He still managed to feed the ball to George Pickens, helping the Steelers continue to move the ball down the field. They struggled in the red zone, but Wilson and Pickens continued to build on their connection. Analyst Colin Cowherd believes they’re one of the best duos in the league.
“George Pickens and Russell Wilson, this is where you really have to credit Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith,” Cowherd said recently on his podcast. “That thing is a real relationship now. It’s a top-five combo in the league: Pickens and Russell Wilson. Eight catches, 11.5 yards a catch. It’s a thing.”
Pickens and Wilson have quickly developed fantastic chemistry. Since Wilson took over as the starter in Week 7, Pickens has been on fire. He’s put up 22 catches for 365 yards and two touchdowns over the last four games. That also includes all the insane circus catches he’s frequently made.
At this point, it’s no secret that Wilson’s go-to weapon through the air is Pickens. Their skill sets complement each other perfectly. It isn’t a stretch to say they’re one of the best duos in the NFL right now. Pickens has even climbed to be third in the league in receiving yards, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
That’s an elite company to be in at this time of year. Pickens played well when Justin Fields was starting, but Wilson unlocked another level in his game. Just throwing the ball up to him and allowing him to make a play goes well more often than not.
This week, we’ll see if they can continue to showcase their abilities. The Cleveland Browns might have an awful record, but their defense is still formidable. According to FOX Sports, they have the 13th-best pass defense in the league through Week 10.
It’s not like Pickens hasn’t faced some stiff competition this year. Currently, the Steelers have faced five of the top 10 pass defenses in the NFL. Three of those games came with Wilson as the quarterback, too, so the two of them have beaten good defenses.
A divisional game on the road in a short week might present some different challenges, though. Still, if Pickens and Wilson are as good as Cowherd makes them seem, they should be just fine.
