Given the fragile state of their offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fate in the Wild Card round could very well come down to which version of George Pickens shows up on Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. If it is anything resembling the three-drop, Week 18 version of him, then the Steelers are doomed. They need to figure out a way to get him involved early to get him into a rhythm.
When he is at his best, he is one of the best receivers in the league.
“When I think about George Pickens and what he brings to the table, he is no different to me, from a receiver standpoint, no different than Ja’Marr Chase, no different than Justin Jefferson. He’s a top-five talent that isn’t used in the same manner that they are,” Chad Johnson said via Inside The NFL on The CW.
That is lofty praise from Johnson, comparing him to the best in the business. Pickens doesn’t have the production or track record to back that up, but he does have a healthy reel of highlights that show his special talent.
The issue is making sure he gives a consistent effort. There have been times throughout his career when he gets caught not giving an effort on a run play as a blocker, or he gives up on certain routes where he might not be the first read. There was a lot of controversy about Russell Wilson’s interception in the end zone during the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. It appeared that Pickens gave up on that route, causing safety Justin Reid to drift inside for the interception, for example. To be fair, others have noted that play wasn’t really Pickens’ fault.
Regardless, getting Pickens the ball early and often is the best way to make sure he is locked in and gaining confidence after he bottomed out against the Bengals.
“It affects him a lot,” Johnson said of Pickens coming off a three-drop game. “The first thing you wanna do, and I think it would probably be the first play of the game, throw the ball to him and let him touch it. Knowing that you’re involved, knowing that you’re gonna be a part of the game plan does wonders for a young player like Goerge Pickens.”
In the first matchup against the Ravens this year, Pickens had a season-high 12 targets, catching eight of them for 89 yards. It doesn’t need to be quite that high, but it should resemble that stat line and not his six targets, one reception against the Bengals last week.
If Pickens is having a good game, it does so much for the entire offense. There will be more room to run for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. And there will be more space for guys like Pat Freiermuth and Calvin Austin III to get open in the middle of the field or up the seam.
As 10-point underdogs on the road, the Steelers can’t afford for Pickens to be an afterthought in the game plan. He is their best player on offense, and their game plan needs to reflect that.
