The Pittsburgh Steelers were staring down a 10-8 deficit with just over four minutes left to play in the fourth quarter against a Baltimore Ravens offense on the doorstep looking to add to their lead. Joey Porter Jr. came away with his first career interception to get Pittsburgh the ball back. Quarterback Kenny Pickett came out and found George Pickens in key situations to help the team drive 80 yards for the go-ahead score in the 17-10 win.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers George Pickens gets separation on a reception against the Baltimore Ravens in a Week 5 clash at Acrisure Stadium.
Pittsburgh took over after the Porter takeaway on their own 20-yard line with 4:06 remaining in the final quarter. The drive looked like it was headed for another disaster in what has been a common occurrence for the Pittsburgh group so far in the 2023 season. Najee Harris was stopped for a one-yard gain on first down, and Pickett missed tight end Connor Heyward with a quick pass over the middle shortly after. Pickett was able to complete a 10-yard pass to Allen Robinson to keep the chains moving on third and nine.
With a fresh set of downs, Pickett tried to find Robinson again on first down but couldn't connect. Jaylen Warren came in to pick up a six-yard gain on the ground to set up a third down and four. On the ensuing play, Pickett found Pickens on the sidelines for a 21-yard gain to put the ball in Ravens territory just before the two-minute warning.
Coming out of the break, Warren picked up a yard on first down before Pickett connected with Pickens for the most consequential play for the offense of the afternoon. Pickens had single coverage against 2019 First-Team All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey and ran past him to catch a ball perfectly placed by Pickett so that the Georgia Bulldogs product could stay in stride to run the rest of the way for a 41-yard score.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers George Pickens celebrates after a ctach against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5 of 2023.
Pickett said in his post-game press conference that the team had been preparing for the Ravens to play cover zero and that that was what he saw before the touchdown strike to Pickens. That kind of coverage means there is no deep help for the cornerbacks who are left to try to win their matchups one-on-one.
"Got the protection right, gave George [Pickens] his route and he went up there and won," Pickett said about the play. "He's a big-time player and he's making big-time plays in those moments. That's what we've got in 14."
It's not the first time that Pickett has tried to find Pickens when the chips are down. In 2022, as Steeler Nation will remember, on Christmas Eve the Steelers were down 10-6 with 46 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter and the two connected for a 14-yard score to secure the game. Pickett knows what kind of a playmaker Pickens is and seems to find him in the big moments.
Steelers' Pickens Delivers When Team Needed It Most
The team knew that the Ravens liked to use a lot of single coverage in, as Head Coach Mike Tomlin likes to refer to them, "weighty moments." Pickens had a day against Humphrey in Week 14 in 2022 with three catches for 78 yards and in a significant moment on Sunday afternoon, burned his fellow Alabama native.
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Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett and receiver George Pickens have a quick chat on the field.
Tomlin said before the season he was looking for Pickett and Pickens to step up and on Sunday they delivered. In a rivalry that often comes down to who can win the individual matchups, Tomlin was expecting big things from Pickens.
"George had to have a big game," he said. "We talked about it throughout the week and often times it comes down to on-on-one playmaking, particularly on the perimeter. It was important for us to stay engaged for the whole 60 minutes and deliver those timely plays at the end, which he did."
Pickens finished the contest with 130 yards on six receptions while adding one carry for 16 yards. The young receiver set a new career high for receiving yards in a game. As he continues to progress into an elite pass-catcher, it's his play in big moments that will help propel him to that next level.
What did you think of Pickens' game on Sunday? Has he got a clutch gene? Comment below!
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