Browns Reportedly Trashed Steelers' George Pickens In Locker Room After Unexpected Week 12 Win

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a crushing loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. Pittsburgh is about to take on a gauntlet of a schedule in the late part of the 2024 season, so a loss to the then two-win Browns is less than ideal. Pittsburgh still sits at 8-3 and has the lead in the AFC North, but a win on Thursday would have given the team a much better outlook on the rest of the season. This was a heated rivalry game that got chippy at some points, especially after the game with wide receiver George Pickens.

Pickens started the game off hot with four catches for 48 yards, but the receiver went without a catch in the second half of the loss. Pickens was visibly frustrated after the game ended on a failed Hail Mary attempt by Pittsburgh as he got into it with one of the defensive backs for the Browns. 

Pickens doesn't even seem to try and make an attempt to play the ball, and he instead got wrapped up with Greg Newsome. The two had to be separated after the play as they were fighting as the game clock expired. This was a bad look for Pickens as the Steelers could have won the game on the play, which is something the Chicago Bears did earlier in the year.

The Browns were obviously very happy with the outcome of the game, and it was clear they got under Pickens' skin. The two teams will see each other again in just two weeks, which should make for an entertaining matchup after the way the Week 12 contest ended. Newsome took to social media after the win and took a shot at the wide receiver.

Pickens had a similar interaction with a defensive back following the Steelers loss to the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the season. Jourdan Lewis of the Cowboys was calling Pickens weak and soft following the game after the two got into a fight following the last play of the game. Pickens was also the topic of conversation in the Browns locker room following the game.

The final play was a tough look for Pickens as he made no attempt to make a play, and instead seemed preoccupied with fighting Newsome. Pickens was visibly frustrated throughout the night as he seemed to think he was interfered with on a couple of targets, but no penalties were called. The frustration clearly got to him by the end of the game.

Steelers' George Pickens Continued To Show Frustration When Speaking To The Media

Pickens spoke to the media following the loss and he didn't mince words when it came to the Browns. He repeatedly called the AFC North opponent a bad team, but stated that they only won because of the officials and the weather conditions. It was certainly a winnable game for Pittsburgh and the weather conditions didn't help, but the offense for the Steelers was stagnant for far too long. 

The third-year wide receiver will look to bounce back in Week 13 when the Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals, which will be another tough in-division game. The Bengals have struggled and only have four wins on the season, but they are still fighting to find a spot in the playoffs.

What did you think of Pickens' behavior at the end of the loss? Let us know in the comments below!

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