The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their Week 5 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, and the team is looking to bounce back in Week 6 as they travel to Nevada to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only have the Steelers dropped two games in a row, but there is also a ton of drama surrounding the locker room - specifically George Pickens. Pickens was called out during the team's Week 5 contest for a lack of effort, and the third-year receiver saw a significant reduction in snaps in the loss.
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Steelers wideout George Pickens gets ready for a regular season game against the New York Jets in 2022.
By halftime, it became obvious that Pickens was being kept off the field. He was out-snapped by Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III, which should never happen to a budding star in the NFL. Pickens took the field for the first snap with a message written on hie Eye Black which read "Open F***ing Always." Obviously this wasn't perceived well, and he didn't have the Eye Black on later in the game. Some speculated this was the reason for his lack of snaps, but the wide receiver didn't think much of it when he was asked about the meaning behind it on Thursday.
"Yeah, it's just Eye Black."
The NFL is typically pretty strict when it comes to their uniform policy. Players get fined for wearing wrong-colored cleats or the length of their socks all the time. So obviously, having an expletive written on your face will get the attention of the league. Pickens was asked if he expected the blowback he received from the Eye Black.
"Nah."
The blowback was certainly expected. It was likely Pittsburgh's coaching staff that made the receiver take the Eye Black off in the middle of the game. It was reported earlier in the week that Pickens will be investigated by the league, which means the receiver could be facing a potential fine from the NFL. When this was brought up, the receiver shook his head, but it is likely he at least gets a warning from the league.
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Steelers' George Pickens celebrates a 71-yard touchdown against the division rival Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Pickens played just 59 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps in the loss to Dallas, which isn't his usual workload. The receiver had been on the field for over 70 percent of the snaps the three weeks prior, so the drop-off is certainly concerning. Head Coach Mike Tomlin didn't seem too concerned about the receiver after the game or during his press conference Tuesday. He shared that the only reasoning for him not being on the field more was load management, and the coaching staff simply wanted to get higher-quality play from Pickens.
Steelers' George Pickens Set For Favorable Matchup Against The Las Vegas Raiders
Pickens needs to have a bounce-back performance in Week 6 in Las Vegas. He will be seeing very favorable matchups from their defense in a game that the Steelers should be able to win. According to Pro Football Focus, Pickens has a "great" matchup as he will be lining up across from Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, and Jakorian Bennett. All three of those defenders sit outside of the top-50 in the league when it comes to coverage grades. Pittsburgh will need to see that and come into the game with a strong game plan that features a lot of Pickens.
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Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens hauls in a deep ball in a loss to the Colts during the 2024 season.
The third-year receiver had his worst game of the season in Week 5 as he caught the ball just three times for 26 yards. As the team's clear number one wide receiver, the Steelers need to make a concerted effort to get Pickens involved. There isn't much behind Pickens at the receiver position, so he should be relied upon heavily moving forward in the season.
What do you think about Pickens' comments about the Eye Black? Let us know below!
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