The Pittsburgh Steelers always find a way to fall apart at the worst times, and that is exactly what has happened near the end of the 2024 regular season. Pittsburgh has ended the regular season on a four-game losing streak, and the offense looks like a shell of itself. The defense hasn't been great as the group has been dealing with communication issues, and Russell Wilson looks like the worst version of himself. Head Coach Mike Tomlin will attempt to turn things around ahead of the playoffs, but it seems like a long shot.
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Steelers' TJ Watt with his brothers before a game against the Houston Texans during the 2023 season.
After the Steelers' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, it became clear that the offense is no where near where it needs to be. Wilson is struggling, and his connection with third-year wide receiver George Pickens seems to be nonexistent. Pickens is known to be very emotional, so he easily gets frustrated during some games, and it shows. JJ Watt was on That Other Pregame Show on CBS Sunday morning, where he had some comments about Pickens and the Steelers' offense.
"I think especially after last night's game, it's clearly there's something going on." Watt said. "Whether it's not being on the same page, whatever it may be. But I do know that they need to get that deal figured out ASAP if they're gonna have any chance in the playoffs."
Pittsburgh's running game is often struggling, so Wilson's connection with Pickens is extremely important to the success of the offense and the team as a whole. Pickens missed three games with a hamstring injury, and it clearly hurt the offense and made Wilson less effective. During the loss to Cincinnati, the two connected just one time on a screen pass that went for zero yards. Pickens was targeted six times, but caught just the screen pass while dropping three other balls.
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Steelers' George Pickens celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023.
Pickens usually has great games when going against the Bengals, but that was definitely not the case on Saturday night. The wide receiver was targeted just once during the first half and had arguably the worst game of his career. Watt spoke more about the wide receiver's recent issues, and how important it is for the Steelers to find a fix in order to have success in the postseason.
"If George Pickens isn't playing well, or if Russell Wilson and George Pickens aren't on the same page, it is a major, major problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers." Watt said. "Who are having a very difficult time moving the ball and scoring touchdowns on offense. It needs to get figured out and it needs to get figured out very quickly. Which, there's not a lot of time to do."
The Steelers will be playing in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and which gives Tomlin just one week to figure what exactly is the issue with his team. If he can't figure it out and the Steelers fail to win a playoff game for the eighth season in a row, than major organizational changes need to be made. Whatever Tomlin is doing just isn't working any more.
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Steelers' George Pickens runs a route during a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of the 2024 season.
Steelers Must Find A Way To Get George Pickens Involved In The Playoffs
No team schemes up plays for their top wide receiver less than the Steelers. One target for Pickens in the first half of any game is just ridiculous, and it is completely understandable why Pickens is as frustrated as he is sometimes. However, he had a chance to have a big game if he could have just caught the ball. The wide receiver had three crucial drops. The chemistry between Pickens and Wilson is clearly disrupted, and Pittsburgh must fix that before playing in a postseason game.
What do you think about Watt's comments? Are you worried about the connection between Wilson and Pickens? Let us know in the comments below!
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