George Pickens will officially not play against the Baltimore Ravens this week, and that’s an unfortunate update for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Pickens out, their offense has been abysmal. That lack of explosiveness has robbed them of their teeth. Their other receivers can make plays, but no one is Pickens. Because of that, former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long believes Russell Wilson will need to have perfect accuracy to give the Steelers a chance.
“Russell Wilson gives George Pickens a chance, and he could come down with the football,” Long said Thursday on his podcast, Pushing the Pile. “With these other playmakers on the offensive side for the Steelers, you have to be damn-near perfect as a quarterback. You not only have to make the right read, but you gotta put that ball exactly where it’s supposed to be.”
Long makes a good point. Wilson can throw contested balls to Pickens all day, and most of the time, Pickens will make the catch. He makes the impossible possible. That’s a blessing and a curse for the Steelers’ offense. With him out of the lineup, their offense becomes dysfunctional. No one else can do what Pickens does.
The Steelers tried to get out in front of this problem by trading for Mike Williams. While he isn’t the same player he once was, Williams still has a huge frame that should allow him to make contested catches like Pickens. However, outside of a few plays, he’s been invisible on the field.
Calvin Austin III is a downfield threat, but he’s a smaller receiver that wins with speed. Similar things could be said about Scotty Miller, although he made a Pickens-esque catch a few weeks ago. Van Jefferson hasn’t been a huge factor in the pass game either. With that group, Wilson does need to be more accurate. There’s far less of a chance they come up with the 50-50 balls he throws to Pickens.
Unfortunately, that has become a key component of the Steelers’ offense. They start slow, but usually, they manage to hit a deep shot down the field to get going. They hit one of those against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it came on a trick play. Defenses will be more prepared for that.
This next game is one where the Steelers really could’ve used Pickens, too. The Baltimore Ravens are coming for the AFC North crown, and if they beat the Steelers this week, the door will be wide open for them. Last time these two teams played, Pickens put up eight catches for 89 yards. Someone will need to replace that production. It might fall on Wilson’s shoulders to get his receivers going.
