The Cleveland Browns will let George Pickens be George Pickens when they face off for the second time in three weeks on Sunday.
The Browns won the season’s first matchup in upset fashion, 24-19, in the snow. The game ended with Pickens and Browns cornerback Greg Newsome trading shoves in the back of the end zone. Neither player was fined for the incident.
Newsome went to social media after the matchup, calling Pickens a “fake tough guy.” In the other locker room, Pickens gave the Browns no credit for the win.
“Conditions played a huge, huge part in today’s game,” Pickens said after the loss. “I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kind of saved them today.”
Browns safety Grant Delpit also got into an exchange with Pickens. Delpit was flagged for snatching Pickens’ mouthguard and throwing it. He doesn’t plan to let the Steelers receiver’s antics get in the way this time.
“We do what we do. Let him do what he does. Let him be bad,” Delpit said of Pickens on Thursday.
Browns Respect George Pickens as Receiver
While Pickens is prone to some unpredictable behavior on the field, the Browns respect what he’s able to bring as a receiver. Pickens has 55 catches for 850 yards and three touchdowns this season.
“Having faced him a bunch of times now, last few years, he’s a challenge in the past game like you mentioned. He’s a contested catch player where he’s always open,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of Pickens. “The quarterback always feels like he’s open. He can throw it into coverage and they feel like he’s going to come down with the ball. They’ve expanded his routes and where he’s running them, how he’s running them throughout this offense this season. So he’s a very big challenge. You have to understand where he is at all times.”
The Browns were able to neutralize Pickens for the most part in their first matchup. He had four catches for 48 yards.
Steelers WR George Pickens Told to ‘Tone it Down’
Pickens was up to his antics in a 44-38 victory last week. He was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct, drawing a message from his head coach.
“He’s just got to grow up, man,” Tomlin told reporters, via ESPN. “This is an emotional game, man. These divisional games are big. He got a target on his back because he’s George, he understands that. But he’s got to grow up. He’s got to grow up in a hurry.”
Former All-Pro receiver Steve Smith echoed that sentiment during a recent appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take.”
“He got to tone it down a little bit, just cause people are talking about it. And I’ve been a guy that understands when people are talking about you like that, and it’s going to be this assumed disposition about you,” Smith said. “People are going to believe what they see or believe what some other people may say even though the context may not be all aligned.”
The Steelers are a 6.5-point favorite against the Browns for the AFC North clash.
