The last time Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens faced the Cincinnati Bengals, he had a monster day. In a rare blowout win, Pickens posted 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns against them. While he may not repeat that performance, ESPN thinks he’ll have another big day.
Previewing Sunday’s matchup, analytics analyst Seth Walder sees another triple-digit performance.
“Steelers wide receiver George Pickens will bounce back with a 100-yard game. Pickens has been great this season, with a 79 open score, 10th best in the NFL.”
No one in Pittsburgh would be mad if Walder’s prediction rang true. The Steelers are looking for a big passing performance after two lackluster outings against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, held to under 20 points in each game. QB Russell Wilson still had some success, including a 270-yard performance in the Browns loss, but the offense and passing game haven’t been as fluid.
In those two outings, Pickens put up modest but respectable numbers. He caught a career-high eight passes against the Ravens but was mostly held to underneath curls save for one 37-yard catch down the left sideline. The Browns game was quieter, 48 yards on four receptions as Cleveland’s defense – and snow – blanketed him.
In 2024, Pickens has a pair of 100-yard games. He posted 113 yards in a Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and 111 in Wilson’s first start, a Week 7 win over the New York Jets. Wilson has given Pickens more jump-ball opportunities, trusting him to turn 50/50 throws in his favor.
Despite being best known for his contested catches, Walder points out that Pickens can get open, too. While the “open score” may lack context and few would consider him to be a top-10 route runner in football, Pickens has improved his releases and routes to gain more separation. Even if that means stacking a cornerback vertically, he’s refined his game to be more than the receiver who occasionally makes the highlight-reel grab.
The Bengals’ pass defense has been middling this season. After losing top cornerback DJ Turner II, it’s only gotten worse. Cam Taylor-Britt is their new No. 1 guy but has been benched twice this season, just as likely to give up a big play as he is to make one. Opposite him will be Josh Newton, a rookie set to make his first NFL start Sunday. In a Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, WR Ladd McConkey tore up the Bengals’ secondary for 123 yards on six grabs.
In fact, the Bengals have allowed a 100-yard receiver in three-straight games: the Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers, the Ravens’ Tylan Wallace, and McConkey.
That bodes well for Pickens and a Steelers offense looking to get back to the barrage of big plays they made in Wilson’s first three starts.
