Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, who has been prone to sideline outbursts this season — in addition to voicing his frustrations about the team's offense in the third person, has been working with head coach Mike Tomlin to control his emotions.
Tomlin spoke at length about his efforts working with the Steelers' talented young wideout at a press conference late last week.
When asked about strategies he's engaging to get Pickens to be more “solution-oriented,” he replied: “Education. He and I had a great meeting this week. The quarterback feels pressure to get him the ball and have him included. The player feels pressure because he wants his talents to be a part of moving the football.”
“Certainly, it's easy to say, ‘Be mature. Don't get frustrated. It's part of the game,' continued the Steelers' head coach, “But he needs to understand it is an agenda [of the opponent]. It is a game plan. It is something that's constructed to break him and the unit down.”
Pickens, the team's second-round pick (52nd) overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia, is the team's leading receiver this season. In thirteen games, he has accumulated 49 catches on 84 targets for 767 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
In the AFC playoff picture, the Steelers and Colts enter Saturday's game in sixth and seventh place, respectively. They're being trailed by four teams with similar 7-6 records: the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, and Buffalo Bills.
“I have that mind-set every week. I do,” said Tomlin, when asked if Saturday's game is a ‘must-win.' “I've just been in it so long. I know the urgency of the 17 weekends and the opportunities. There are direct ramifications in terms of who walks out successful and who doesn't. But just from a mind-set standpoint, I think those of us who have been in this business for any length of time carry that urgency week in and week out.”
Follow Us
Subscribe