The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off of their third loss of the season, and the loss sparked a ton of storylines. There was a lot of debate about the team using both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, as well as a ton of fans questioning other decisions made by Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Perhaps the biggest story that came from the loss involved George Pickens, who got into a fight with a Cleveland Browns defender on the last play of the game that has painted the third-year wide receiver in a bad light.
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Steelers' George Pickens fighting with Greg Newsome II after a loss to the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
Ever since the fight, Pickens has been defended publicly by both Wilson and Tomlin. Tomlin even stated that he felt the incident happened primarily because of Greg Newsome II, who was the cornerback that Pickens was tied up with on the final Hail Mary. It is always interesting to see how Pickens responds in the media after situations like these occur. Ahead of Week 13, Pickens kept it short and sweet for the most part while speaking to the media in the locker room. The wide receiver answered multiple questions about the Browns game and other things by taking a page out of Marshawn Lynch's book.
"I'm just here so I won't get fined," Pickens said.
Lynch famously responded to the media like this ahead of Super Bowl XLIX while he was with the Seattle Seahawks. Lynch never really enjoyed speaking to the media, which seemed to be the only reason he chose to respond in this manner. Pickens doesn't seem to like speaking to the media much either, but it is better for the wide receiver to respond like this versus saying something that could get him in trouble.
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Former Seahawks teammates Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch during the Super Bowl.
Lynch was actually Wilson's running back when he made those comments, and now Wilson gets to listen to his favorite wide receiver respond to the media in the same way. Pickens did answer some of the media's questions in a normal way, but it seemed like whenever he was asked about the game against Cleveland or offensive struggles, he responded in the same way Lynch would have.
George Pickens channeling his inner Marshawn Lynch when asked about @gnewsii calling him “fake tough guy” pic.twitter.com/BQ8whjHVQ6
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 29, 2024
Pickens played well in the first half against Cleveland, but the wide receiver failed to catch a pass during the second half. He was visibly frustrated and got into it with Browns defenders multiple times. After the game ended, Pickens made matters worse when calling the Browns bad and saying the only reason Pittsburgh lost was the weather.
The wide receiver has certainly had some controversial moments, and he has shown signs of immaturity at times. However, he will continue to grow and he should be able to bounce back against a weak Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 13.
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George Pickens hauls in a grab over Cincinnati Bengals' Mike Hilton.
Steelers' George Pickens Expected To Bounce Back Against The Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have one of the worst defenses in the league, against the run and the pass. Wilson and Pickens should be able to find ways to succeed on Sunday. The last time the Bengals took the field, their starting safety Cam Taylor-Britt got benched due to poor performance. If this continues with the defensive back, Pittsburgh should see a lot of success through the air. It will be difficult for the offense to keep up with Cincinnati, but if the unit can get off to a hot start, Pittsburgh should be able to find a way to win the game.
Cincinnati's defense is the reason they are 4-7 and on the brink of missing the postseason. Hopefully that trend continues on Sunday and the Steelers can get back on track with a win within the division.
What do you think of Pickens responding to the media in the way that he did? Let us know in the comments below!
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