Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is once again in the spotlight in Pittsburgh after a peculiar outing in a Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Pickens' snaps were limited in the defeat and he didn't appear to respond positively, displaying a lack of effort and negative body language during the Sunday night contest at Acrisure Stadium. The occasionally mercurial receiver was questioned about the matter on Thursday and didn't seem to be in much better spirits, explaining his total number of opportunities was "just part of the game structure, game plan."
"No," Pickens said when asked if he feels he can earn more snaps. "That's not on me. It's all up to Art."
Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith spoke on the topic with reporters on Thursday, too, and attempted to explain Pickens' usage by pointing to past approaches with A.J. Brown and Derrick Henry during his time with the Titans, telling reporters he's "certainly done it with other premium players" before adding he understood the scrutiny that comes after a loss.
Smith's answer was still missing a clear explanation for why Pickens was limited, though. Instead, he said it was about attempting to "maximize snaps" with different personnel packages, which he added were "week-to-week things."
This is different than replacing a hulking running back with a receiving back on third down. The Steelers notably lack upper-tier talent at receiver, with Pickens existing as their obvious best option at the position, yet he only played 59 percent of snaps in Week 5. After throwing for 312 yards in a close loss to the Colts in Week 4, Justin Fields finished with a pedestrian passing line against the Cowboys: 15 of 27 for 131 yards and two passing touchdowns thrown to tight ends.
Despite forcing three turnovers, the Steelers only mustered 17 points and lost in the final seconds, 20-17. In the simplest terms, it sure seems as if they could have used their best receiver to help generate some explosive plays, but chose to use him for a total of 34 offensive snaps.
Pickens' demeanor has attracted plenty of attention during his career with the Steelers, so it wasn't a surprise he was asked whether he's gotten better at handling adverse situations, especially regarding officials.
"I wouldn't really say that," Pickens said. "That's all on the refs. That should show you where the refs are this season."
Pickens also threw his helmet out of frustration on the sideline during the loss, drawing more scrutiny. His explanation for that was unapologetically simple: "When it's third down and you don't convert, a lot of fans are mad as well."
Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, who has been sidelined this season due to a calf injury, defended Pickens when speaking to reporters later Thursday.
"We love the player that he is," Wilson said, per ESPN.com. "We love the competitor that he is and that's the thing that you have to understand. Is George a bad teammate? Absolutely not. Is George a hell of a player? Absolutely. Is he a great competitor? Absolutely. Is he a guy that wants the ball? Absolutely. Is he a guy that can do anything on the field that most people can't? Absolutely.
"So I think the best thing that we can focus on is find different ways to get up in the ball, obviously also to him staying composed, that matters -- but also understanding that it's all team effort."
Pickens began the night by writing a clear statement for anyone willing to look closely at his eye black tape -- "Open f---ing always" -- then proceeded to catch three of his seven targets for 26 yards on a wet evening in Pittsburgh. He's broken 100 receiving yards just once through five games, catching seven passes for 113 yards in the Week 4 loss, and he has yet to score a touchdown.
The numbers substantiate frustration Pickens might be feeling. But the blowback from his choice of messaging hasn't helped his case, and when asked Thursday by reporters if he knew about the NFL's rule on eye black messages, he pleaded ignorance, responding with "never seen it before."
When pressed -- who referred to a fine drawn by teammate Cameron Heyward for eye black honoring his late father back in 2015 -- Pickens was similarly short.
"Years ago? When I wasn't in the league?" Pickens said. "So, nah."
Pittsburgh currently ranks 23rd in yards per game, 27th in passing yards per game and 26th in scoring. Fields has performed better than most expected, but it's clear the Steelers aren't generating enough production on the offensive side.
In order to do that, they'll need all of their weapons at their best, starting with Pickens.
The Steelers play at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
