Kenny Pickett emphasizes giving George Pickens more opportunities: 'He's gotta get the football'
It doesn’t take an offensive innovator to know that Steelers receiver George Pickens should be used more. And quarterback Kenny Pickett is cheering for more of those calls.
And why not? There’s a ton of stuff that doesn’t work with the Steelers offense. But when it works, the Pickett to Pickens connection is football beautiful. The receiver notched his third 100-receiving yard performance of the season in a 24-17 victory over the Rams last Sunday. In three of the four Steelers wins, Pickens has surged past 100 yards. In the fourth, he managed 75. With Diontae Johnson back in the lineup, defenses can’t solely concentrate on shutting down Pickens.
Pickett talked about his connection with the Steelers receiver, Wednesday, during an interview with SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio.
“I think we mesh really well together, personally … just where we’re very honest with each other on the field and … calling things like when we see it,” Pickett said of Pickens. “You know, we’re on the same page. The communication off the field is awesome and on the sideline, he tells me what he sees, I tell him, and then we go out there and we execute. And you know, I always want to give him opportunities. I’ve been preaching that since I got here.
“He’s a guy that if he’s one-on-one, he’s gotta get the football. He’s too good of a player not to give those opportunities to. Just want to continue doing that, continue to give him and Diontae (Johnson) as many opportunities as we can to help us win games. You know, if we do that, I think we’ll be successful.”
Steelers picked Pickett, Pickens, at top of team’s draft in 2022
The Steelers used the top two picks of their draft in 2022 to take Pickett then Pickens, the former Georgia star. The two have done a lot of on-field learning and growing to make the transition from Power Five in college football to the NFL. Defenses can be tough on the youngsters.
The Steelers offense, through six games, still is ice cold to start each Sunday. The offensive lethargy usually lasts until the second half, with Pickett and company kicking into a more frantic gear for the fourth quarter. The last time the Steelers scored a touchdown in a first half was back on Sept. 25. Pittsburgh has played three games since then, going 2 and 1. Even in the wins, it’s rare for the Steelers to score points in the first half. They’ve registered six total points — that’s two field goals — in the first half of their two straight victories.
Pickett has tried to target Pickens more. He’s thrown 48 passes his way, with Pickens catching 27 for 500 yards. He’s averaging 18.5 yards per catch, which is second best in the NFL behind only Texans standout Nico Collins at 18.0. They’re both ahead of Dolphins flash, Tyreek Hill, who is averaging 17 yards per reception.
The Steelers play red-hot Jacksonville this Sunday. We’ll see if the Pickett to Pickens connection gets even stronger.