The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the New England Patriots in Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season by a score of 21-18. This marks their second straight game of losing to a team with only two wins on the season, and is the first time the Steelers have had back-to-back losses in 2023. The offense struggled for the majority of the game, as it was led by Mitch Trubisky with Kenny Pickett out due to an ankle injury. George Pickens showed visible frustration throughout the game, as he was not targeted much and only had 19 receiving yards.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' George Pickens in a 2023 loss to the Patriots
Steelers' Diontae Johnson Sees Pickens' Frustration
Both of the Steelers top receivers, Pickens and Diontae Johnson, have had their share of ups and downs in 2023. Both have been visibly frustrated during games with how the offense has been producing, and both have had their moments where they show little effort due to their frustrations. Pickens was not very involved in the Steelers Week 14 contest, and Johnson was asked about Pickens frustration and how he has been helping him through it.
"I'm sure he's probably frustrated. My job is just to continue to tell him just to keep his head in the game, you never know when your opportunity is going to come. You can't let one bad play define the whole game for you personally. Once you do that you take yourself out of the game. I'm always there for him, continuing to try and keep his head in the game. Keep his energy up, and you know we need him at the same time. His energy down, the ball comes his way and he doesn't make a play like he wanted to. He'll be alright."
Pickens did have five receptions in the game, but through the first half he had just one target which he caught for four yards. He had shown frustration earlier in the season when he wasn't getting the ball like he thought he should during the Steelers win over the Tennessee Titans, and he then went on a spree on social media of unfollowing his teammates and deleting everything Steelers-related from his profile.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' George Pickens makes a catch on the sideline against the Patriots
Pickens had a lot of volume when it came to catches, as he had five. However, none of them were down the field. He has succeeded a lot in his young NFL career when it has come to catching deep passes down the field, yet he didn't receive a single target like that in the Steelers Week 14 loss. Pickens had just 19 yards on the day and had averaged just 3.8 yards per catch. A measly 19 yards is Pickens' lowest in a game in 2023, aside from having negative yards against the Titans in Week 9.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' George Pickens in a 2023 loss to the Patriots
Every one of Pickens receptions in the loss to New England seemed like a check down, where once he caught the ball he had no room to work with and was unable to make a play. He caught a quick-out to begin the game that went for four yards, and then in the second half he had a few catches that were barely passed the line of scrimmage where he was tackled immediately. He was also the recipient of a screen pass, but he was tackled for a loss of a yard.
Pickens underwhelming Week 14 performance comes after having four receptions for 86 yards in the Steelers Week 13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He was one of the few bright spots on offense in the loss to Arizona. If Pickens has a poor outing again in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts, we may see another outburst from the young wide receiver. Johnson has made it clear he is trying to help Pickens through his frustrations, but another week of poor quarterback play and a lack of involvement in the offense might bring Pickens to his breaking point.
What do you think of Johnson speaking on Pickens frustrations? Should the offense try to get him more involved going forward? Let us know in the comments below!
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