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The Week 12 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns ended with an attempt at a Hail Mary.
During the final play, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens and Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II can be seen getting into a bit of a physical altercation at the back of the end zone. Shortly after the game was over and Pittsburgh was declared the loser, Newsome posted a brief message on social media, and it appeared to be directed at Pickens.
“Fake tough guy 😂😂😂,” the insult read. It already has 7,000 likes and over 250,000 views in just under three hours.
ESPN beat writer Brooke Pryor initially reported that Pickens declined to speak with the media after the loss. That changed a little after midnight.
“George Pickens, who ended up talking after declining two requests, [was] asked what happened in the end zone on the last play,” Pryor relayed on X. His answer, per Pryor: “Nothing.”
Steelers WR George Pickens Blames Conditions for Cleveland Loss, Says Browns Are Not a ‘Good Team’
Along with being questioned about the scuffle on the Hail Mary, Pickens was asked about the Steelers’ major takeaway following the road loss at the hands of a division rival. Steelers Now reporter Alan Saunders shared video of his response.
“Just keep grinding,” Pickens told the media, eventually taking a shot of his own at Cleveland. “The conditions played a huge, huge part in today’s game. I don’t really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all.”
He went on to note that he thought the snowy conditions “saved” the Browns on Thursday night. But perhaps the star playmaker was simply referring to his personal struggles in Cleveland.
Week 12 yielded Pickens’ worst performance since veteran signal-caller Russell Wilson took over at quarterback. He finished with just 4 receptions off 7 targets for 48 receiving yards. Pickens was also involved in two missed connections on deep balls from Steelers QBs — one from Wilson and one from second-string passer Justin Fields.
On the end zone shot with Wilson throwing the ball, there appeared to be miscommunication. As Pickens turned his route toward the corner, the veteran signal-caller threw it behind him at the center of the end zone. Despite Pickens having a step on the defender, this attempt landed incomplete.
With Fields at quarterback, the Steelers tried a one-on-one ball for Pickens down the sideline. The wideout appeared to have a shot at it, but called for a defensive pass interference after the throw was just out of reach. The referees did not agree with Pickens’ appeals.
NFL Community Trolls Steelers WR George Pickens for ‘Fighting’ on Hail Mary Attempt
On social media, the NFL community had a lot of fun at Pickens’ expense after the game, posting several memes and GIFs on X.
One was captioned: “Russell Wilson: *Trying to throw game winning Hail Mary.* George Pickens: *Fighting for absolutely no reason.*”
Others utilized infamous sports moments that involved fist fights to get their point across, like Pardon My Take, who wrote: “Camera cuts to George Pickens.” And then included a GIF of former NBA star Ron Artest leaving the court to fight someone in the stands.
Barstool Sports also joked that Pickens “watch[es] himself fight in film every single week.” While adding separately: “No Steelers game is complete without a George Pickens fiasco.”
In the end, it’s another bad look for Pickens within a Pittsburgh loss. A lack of maturity has always been the recent second-round pick’s greatest flaw, but he’s shown signs of improvement in 2024.
The Hail Mary skirmish was a step backward, but Week 13 provides a new opportunity.
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