The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the 2024 season with a victory on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. A win is a win, but there is clear areas where the team will need to improve in order to have more success during the 2024 season. Pittsburgh was only able to muster up 18 points, all of which came off of field goals from Chris Boswell. They made it to Atlanta's side of the field often, but the drives kept stalling out and the offense wasn't able to find the end zone once.
One of Pittsburgh's best players from their Week 1 victory was wide receiver George Pickens . He made countless plays, and should have had even more production if it weren't for a tacky offensive pass interference call that took a big catch off the board. Pittsburgh had a strong chance to score in the second half on a screen pass to Van Jefferson, but Pickens failed when it came to blocking his defender which resulted in Jefferson being tackled before he could really gain any yardage.
Steelers legend, Ben Roethlisberger, was watching this game and took notes in order to breakdown the victory on his podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger. He had some strong criticism for the effort shown by Pickens on this failed play.
"You have to do more as a wide receiver," Roethlisberger said. "There is something to be said about being a selfless football player when it comes to being out there. The guys in the trenches are busting their butt on every single play for you to get on SportsCenter, to make the plays, to open holes for running backs. They're bleeding, they're sweating, they're getting their butt kicked. You need to do your job when it's called. That was a screen play that you know you're blocking on."
Pickens has incredible talent as a wide receiver, but he still often gets questioned for his maturity and selflessness. He has a tendency of displaying a bad attitude if he feels he isn't being involved enough, and has shown a poor effort like this on more than one occasion.
The play Roethlisberger is referring to came in the fourth quarter when the Steelers were leading 15-10 with about eight minutes left in the game. It was third and two, just seven yards away from the end zone, and Jefferson would have been able to get the first, and probably score, had Pickens done his job and blocked. Instead, Jefferson only got one yard, and the Steelers failed to convert on fourth down and gave the ball back to Atlanta.
This was a crucial moment in the game, and had Pittsburgh's defense not stepped up, it could have led to a loss. There is a lot of good that comes with Pickens, but the lack of effort at times is concerning. Especially during such a critical moment.
Steelers' George Pickens Has Displayed This Behavior Before
Pickens had a similar incident during the 2023 season when the Steelers were taking on the Indianapolis Colts. Jaylen Warren had an opportunity to score, but Pickens decided not to block. He later made a statement that concerned fans, saying something along the lines of not wanting to put his body in harm's way.
The third-year wide receiver has the ability to be a proficient blocker at his position. He has his own share of pancake blocks. The issue is not being willing to put his body on the line so another teammate can make a play. Pickens needs to buy into being a team player, and show a little more selflessness.
