Quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t have a very strong performance in the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals. But his night could have looked a lot better if not for dropped passes.
Three drops came from Pittsburgh Steelers No. 1 wide receiver George Pickens. Wilson and Pickens also failed to connect with the receiver open down the sideline with 20 seconds remaining.
Pickens finished the game with 1 catch for zero yards on 6 targets. Without any production from Pickens, the Steelers lost to the Bengals 19-17.
But despite the rough outing, Wilson expressed strong confidence in Pickens after the Week 18 loss.
“I believe in George. Everything is not always perfect for everyone. This is an imperfect game,” Wilson told reporters. “I believe in George. I believe in who he is, the player he is. He’s been a star for us all season.
“He’s going to be a difference maker, obviously, for us in the playoffs. I’m looking forward to that and what he can do, what we can do together. I’m not blinking on George. If anybody believes in him, I definitely do.”
As the Steelers quarterback continued to convey the belief he has in Pickens, Wilson suggested the drops in Week 18 will have no impact on him going forward.
“I have no hesitation to throw the football to him,” added Wilson.
Russell Wilson Offers Explanation for Poor Night From George Pickens
Wilson mostly used clichés to explain why Pickens didn’t play well in Week 18. But the quarterback also blamed the time the receiver missed because of his hamstring injury.
“He missed three weeks. It feels like he hasn’t made plays in forever because he was out for three weeks,” Wilson told the media. “Last week, it didn’t go our way for whatever reason.
“And tonight, obviously, didn’t go our way. And I think great players, sometimes, it doesn’t go their way that day.”
Not only did it not go “the way” the Steelers offense wanted on January 4, but there seemed to be a perfect storm of issues. Wilson was inaccurate and didn’t target open receivers enough on intermediate passes until the fourth quarter.
But then when he was on the mark to Pickens, the Steelers leading receiver didn’t make the catch.
Pickens’ first drop was on third-and-8 in the third quarter. The Steelers punted after the failed third-down attempt.
The Steelers settled for a field goal on the drive where Pickens made his third drop.
Those drops could have cost Pittsburgh points. At the very least, it made Wilson’s below average stat line worse.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth led the Steelers in catches and receiving yards. But he also dropped a pass on fourth-and-12 in the final 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. Had Freiermuth caught the pass, the Steelers would have convert the fourth-down attempt.
Due to his own struggles and the drops, Wilson completed only 17 of 31 passes for 148 yards with 1 touchdown in Week 18. He averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt and took 4 sacks.
George Pickens Seen Trash Talking With Steelers Fans
It’s never a good thing when a receiver finishes a game with more altercations than yards.
Technically, Pickens didn’t really engage in an altercation during Week 18. But along the sideline, the receiver seemed more than willing to fight, who else but, Steelers fans.
Video from the ESPN broadcast caught Pickens appearing to motion toward the Steelers crowd that he was willing to fight them. Freiermuth kept himself between the fans and Pickens, seemingly encouraging the receiver to turn his focus away from the crowd at Acrisure Stadium.
It will be interesting to see if Pickens receives questions about the interaction. The 23-year-old prematurely ended his final media session before Week 18 because of a question he didn’t like from a Pittsburgh reporter.
The drama around Pickens may be reaching a boiling point. But the receiver could help himself by leading the Steelers to a victory in the first round of the playoffs.
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Steelers’ Russell Wilson Speaks Out on George Pickens After 3 Drops vs. Bengals