WATCH: George Pickens screams at coaching staff over lack of play calls
George Pickens is very upset over a lack of play calls called for him in Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers just barely eked it out over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday 19-16, but it was a bit too close for comfort for a Steelers team that has performed quite well as of late and come to expect move offensively.
Specifically, George Pickens was unhappy with the playcalling scheme on Sunday. Coming off the field during one failed offensive set, he yelled repeatedly to get him the ball, with a few expletives thrown in there toward the coaching staff for good measure. It followed a fumble from receiver Diontae Johnson that ended up being overturned upon review.
Take a look at the rant here, caught on camera:
Pickens had just one reception all game for two yards, targeted twice all game. The numbers don’t lie, Pickens wasn’t getting the attention he likely deserved.
Does it look familiar? How about something from just a few days ago?
Kenny Pickett has been good the last several weeks, but needs to eye his top receivers
Part of it is the play calling, and part of it falls on Kenny Pickett to keep an eye on his top receivers and find them when they’re open. But overall, Pickett has looked good the last few weeks.
In his first three games, he had a single throwing touchdown and three interceptions. Over the most recent four games, he’s thrown two touchdowns and no interceptions.
He’s still not looking like an elite passer, but he’s getting better every week, and the Steelers run game led by Najee Harris has truly helped the Steelers turn things around.
Rightfully so, Pickens wants a chance at utilizing his skillset, but the team has been unable to afford him that as of late. This is the fourth game all season Pickens has had five targets or fewer in a single game.
The rookie receiver has proven he has the athleticism to pull of some really pretty passes, and though he figures to be a piece of the puzzle for Pittsburgh — who wants to stage a very brief rebuild — moving forward, he and the team are still figuring it out.