Whether you’re on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, a fan watching from home, or T.J. Watt’s older brother, the issue is obvious. WR George Pickens and the Steelers’ offense are struggling and whatever underlying issues there are must be corrected. Immediately. With their next game being an elimination postseason contest, Pittsburgh is out of time to “get right.” They’re on the brink of bowing out.
The latest to weigh in on why the Steelers’ offense is in a tailspin, J.J. Watt says the problems must be ironed out.
“I think especially after last night’s game, it’s clearly there’s something going on,” Watt said during an appearance on CBS Sports’ That Other Pregame Show. “Whether it’s not being on the same page, whatever it may be. But I do know that they need to get that deal figured out ASAP if they’re gonna have any chance in the playoffs.”
Like the rest of the Steelers’ offense, Pickens flunked the final. Held to one catch for zero yards on six targets, he became the first Pittsburgh player in at least 30 years to register that kind of stat line. After catching his first target on a failed screen, he dropped three passes the rest of the way and couldn’t get on the same page with QB Russell Wilson on a final-minute double-move that could’ve won the game.
Pickens ends the year where he came into the game, stuck on 900-yards. A disappointing final month to the season thanks to a hamstring injury and Saturday night’s dud.
“If George Pickens isn’t playing well, or if Russell Wilson and George Pickens aren’t on the same page, it is a major, major problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Watt said. “Who are having a very difficult time moving the ball and scoring touchdowns on offense.”
Earlier in the show, co-host Kyle Long took it a step further and blasted Pickens, calling out his wilting in big games.
Pittsburgh hasn’t scored more than 17 points in four-straight games, a lowly feat they hadn’t achieved since 2003. After ranking as a top-ten scoring offense at one point this season, the Steelers will finish in the middle of the pack averaging 22.3 points per game. On the surface, an acceptable number for a team bouncing between 17 and 18 points per game the last several season. But the way the season ended was reminiscent of same old Steelers.
“It needs to get figured out and it needs to get figured out very quickly. Which, there’s not a lot of time to do,” Watt ended.
J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt, and seemingly no one on the Steelers’ offense has the answer. The scheme is poor, the execution is poor, and the results are poor. Barring some minor miracle of a turnaround, Pittsburgh’s season will end next weekend. They’ll face a long offseason with questions over the viability of rostering Wilson, a pending free agent, and Pickens, entering the final year of his rookie deal, come 2025.
