The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an interesting week of preparation for a Week 6 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. One of the more talked about subjects has been wide receiver George Pickens and some more drama surrounding the polarizing pass-catcher. He saw a stunning drop in snaps in Week 5 and fans connected that to his pregame message that was worn on his eye black. The questions have continued consistently throughout the week and many are wondering if he is causing issues regarding his target share. Receivers being in the news negatively is no foreign concept in the Steel City.
After the loss in Week 5 to the Dallas Cowboys, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the unusual approach regarding Pickens' usage during the game. He only played 59% of offensive snaps, which was certainly concerning for an offense struggling to get much going. His response wasn't exactly acceptable as Tomlin attributed it to somewhat of a load management concept, citing that less reps lead to more productive ones when a player is on the field.
Fans and the media were hunting for more answers and Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was asked about Pickens' game in Week 5 when he met with the media on Thursday. He completely contradicted what Tomlin had said after the game and noted that Pickens' absence on nearly half of the snaps was due to situational approaches that were being used. That has some, including TribLIVE's Chris Adamski, pointing out the stark difference in answers from the two coaches.
Tomlin is known for dodging questions and giving roundabout answers, but he was extremely confident when telling the media that the decision to take snaps away from Pickens was related to managing reps. Smith, on the other hand, implied it had nothing to do with rest, but rather, that it was better for Pickens to be on the bench in some situations.
It's never good for two coaches to not be on the same page. The differentiating answers don't necessarily mean anything is wrong between Tomlin and Smith, but it sure does point to a lack of communication between them. Smith was an incredible offensive coordinator while with the Tennessee Titans, but Steelers fans have yet to see a true glimpse of dominance through five weeks.
Tomlin has always been a coach to have a major say in all three phases of the game, and it's fair to wonder if he is potentially holding Smith back a bit. Tomlin was quoted prior to the season saying that "assistants make suggestions, head coaches make decisions." He seemed very stern in the fact that he was running the show in all facets of the game.
That continues into the season to the surprise of no one, but Smith's answer about Pickens makes it seem like Tomlin had a pre-determined answer to either sway the media in a different direction, or flat out lie. Communication is key amongst a head coach and his play-caller, especially when the offense has been poor in recent years. This is a prime example of the two potentially not being on the same page.
Steelers Need Pickens To Get The Offense Going
Regardless of what the reason is behind Pickens' low snap count in Week 5, the team needs to realize at the wide receiving corps is not that good. Without Pickens, it's arguably the worst in the NFL. Him coming up in the media in a negative fashion is another distraction that the franchise doesn't need, and he also needs to be on the field at all times if any defense is going to respect the passing game.
