During Sunday night's game, Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver, George Pickens was noticeably not on the field for a significant portion of the contest. It's clear the Steelers' wide receiver room isn't the best in the NFL currently, but Pickens has undoubtedly been WR1 since Diontae Johnson got traded to the Carolina Panthers during the offseason. A lot of fans were wondering why their top receiver was on the sidelines during crucial moments during the game in Week 5. Fans wondered if it was punishment against Pickens for his vulgar Eye Black message, or something else that happened during the matchup.
Pickens played 34 snaps Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, finishing with just three catches for 26 yards. Meanwhile, fellow receivers Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson played 44 and 47 snaps out of 58. Head Coach Mike Tomlin said in his postgame press conference Sunday night that Pickens' lack of playtime was to minimize his reps to get more productivity. Clearly that wasn't working and Pickens was visibly upset after the game. That frustration continued through the following days, as he declined to speak to the media.
Pickens finally spoke on Thursday morning and he gave his take on his lack of playtime Sunday when asked by a Steelers reporter.
"That's not on me. It's all up to Art [Smith]."
Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith hasn't proved much as the Steelers' new OC this season. He's shown flashes of efficient play-calling, but anything is better from the last three seasons with former OC Matt Canada. Smith got fired as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach last season, finishing with a 21-30 record during his three-year tenure with the team. During the first three weeks of this season, the Steelers' offense failed to scored more than 20 points in any game, relying on the defense to shut down the opposing offenses and win them the game.
Although Pickens is putting his blame on Smith, fans took to social media earlier this week, getting on Pickens for his antics. Pickens showed his frustration after the game when he yanked the facemask of Cowboys defensive back, Jourdan Lewis. There were also plays where Pickens seemed to be jogging routes. This has been a known issue for Pickens for when he's frustrated, he won't give it his all during games.
Steelers' Offense Needs To Elevate Their Game
With a new week and game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the offense needs to step up, score points, and finish out the contest strong. Smith needs to utilize his playmakers on an offense where there aren't quite an abundance of. Pickens and Pat Freiermuth are the leaders of the offensive unit. Freiermuth needs more than three targets like he had in the Cowboys game as well. He's a reliable catcher and gets yards after the catch.
The Raiders' defense has allowed on average 315 offensive yards per game, so this is the Steelers' chance to get back on track and score some points to give them confidence.
