Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wide receiver, George Pickens has been the talk of training camp for his ability to make insane acrobatic catches, like the one he had over rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. There's no denying his talent and that he plays with an attitude, but sometimes he gets in his own way. Former Pittsburgh guard Ramon Foster hopes the coaching staff recognizes and tries to curb his biggest issue before other teams watching the tape alert the referees.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver George Pickens lined up against Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr during a 2022 regular season contest at Acrisure Stadium.
During a recent episode of The Ramon Foster Show on the DK Sports Network, the former Pittsburgh lineman was joined by guest host Dali Kovacevic and he broke down that Pickens is getting a reputation for pushing off defensive backs. He picked up a penalty for offensive pass interference after shoving off Patrick Peterson with two hands to make a catch during Wednesday's camp session. Foster said it cannot be something that extends into the season.
The Ramon Foster Show
Former Pittsburgh offensive lineman Ramon Foster is joined by Dali Kovacevic for Foster's daily chat about all things Steelers.
He said it needs to be pointed out to Pickens in meetings, and then the coaching staff needs to see that he's trying to make a change for the better. Pickens can't have penalties stifling his play-making ability.
"He's too talented to have so many plays negated," Foster said. "At some point, the referees will start calling it."
Foster said he doesn't want to see the problem spiral out of control where he starts to lose any benefit of the doubt due to the push-off becoming a signature for Pickens. He likened it to the bad rap his teammate James Harrison got (maybe deservedly) and how the league and officials would go after him for it.
"He had a history of hitting people really hard," he said. "He ended up getting suspended because of it. He ended up with a label. Even if it wasn’t anything super crazy, he would get called for stuff because guess what, it’s James Harrison."
Foster said that Pickens is developing a reputation for being a player that sometimes catches the ball fairly and some of the time, he pushes off the defensive back. That's what Foster is worried about because if he starts getting calls for offensive pass interference against him, it will negate some of the awesome plays he can make.
JORDAN SCHOFIELD / STEELERNATION (TWITTER: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' George Pickens watches from the sideline with Head Coach Mike Tomlin out in front of him.
According to NFLpenalties.com, Pickens was only flagged for offensive pass interference once last season during Pittsburgh's Week 8 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Foster is hoping that number stays low in the receiver's second season.
Steelers' Foster Offers Some Instructive Advice For Pickens In 2023
Foster did try to stick up for Pickens by saying that maybe his hands get caught up in the momentum of the defensive back while they battle downfield. If he can't shed the label of being a guy that pushes off, then it's a possibility that referees are more likely to favor the defensive player when it comes to throwing the flag.
"The great ones do push off too," he said. "It's like saying an offensive lineman doesn’t hold. We hold in a sense, everyone knows it’s a part of it. If you talk to any professional defensive back, they will tell you the push-off is a part of it."
He offered some constructive criticism to the young receiver to help him not get the attention of referees and to keep the push-off as an aspect of his game. Fixing some techniques could help him to curb the problem.
"On some of those Pickens catches I have seen, he pushes off a little bit or his hands extend out," he said. "You push it with your elbow. You don't extend."
Head Coach Mike Tomlin is expecting "great growth" from the former University of Georgia standout in 2023. Part of that will be in his discipline. Be that with his temper, like when he was tossed out of the game in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals, or avoiding being a magnet for offensive pass interference calls. As Pickens gets used to what referees in the pro game will allow, hopefully, he can find that balance the great receivers find between what is a legal push-off move and what isn't.
What did you think of Foster's comment? Does Pickens have a push-off problem? Comment below!
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