WR George Pickens has big day in Steelers’ win

The New York Jets elected to deploy man coverage. George Pickens knew what to do.

“You know when you get those situations,” Pickens said late Sunday night, “you’ve got to most definitely capitalize.”

Pickens was speaking not long after he had five catches for 111 yards and his first touchdown of the season during a 37-15 win against the Jets.

New York was down a pair of injured starting cornerbacks, and in Russell Wilson’s first start for the Steelers, he found Pickens for 44 and 37 yards plus an 11-yard touchdown to make for what arguably was Pickens’ best game of the season.

“George in 1-on-1 circumstances is a good target,” coach Mike Tomlin said, “and (Sunday) he displayed the reasons why.”

Pickens had combined for just six receptions for 79 yards the past two games with Justin Fields as the quarterback. Tomlin switched to Wilson this week, and his connections with Pickens proved it a worthy decision.

“George is so talented, he makes it easy on the quarterback,” Wilson said. “He knows how to get open. He knows how to make plays. His ability to make contested catches is remarkable.”

The 44-yard catch during the second quarter was down the left sideline on what Wilson calls his “moon ball” and was Pickens’ longest gain of the season. Pickens’ 37-yard catch in the third quarter came after Wilson’s pass deep down the right sideline bounced off of New York safety Isaiah Oliver’s helmet.

HOW DID GEORGE PICKENS CATCH THIS?! ????

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/TpNpXbVX0O

— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) October 21, 2024

“Just concentration,” Pickens said.

Fellow Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III said: “That one was different. It wasn’t surprising though. He has great ball skills and was tracking it. It was a third down, so that was big to continue the drive.”

In between the two long receptions was an 11-yard touchdown that showed chemistry — or, perhaps just veteran savvy — between Wilson and Pickens. They connected on a timing route near the back-right corner of the end zone while Brandon Echols was in what appeared to be good coverage.

Russ. Pickens. SIX.

The @Steelers take advantage of the turnover.

????: #NYJvsPIT on NBC/Peacock
????: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pBbbhXiRSy

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2024

“Throw it up to him. I’ve been saying that since rookie year,” said Austin, who, like Pickens, is part of the Steelers 2022 draft class. “It’s not even surprising.”

Pickens’ big game came two weeks after his snap count was lowered and he showed palpable displays of frustration during a home loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

But Pickens broke out Sunday, in part because of a combination of having nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Wilson and in part because of a depleted Jets secondary that was without cornerbacks D.J. Reed (groin injury) and Michael Carter Jr. (back). And, for a brief period, the Jets also were without All-Pro Sauce Gardner (lower-body).

George Pickens, asked by former NFL star WR Brandon Marshall about making plays in Russell Wilson’s 1st start for the Steelers: pic.twitter.com/kOgLZpcuVv

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 21, 2024

A pass-interference flag on Gardner accounted for another 29-yard gain for the Steelers that could have padded Pickens’ stat line further.

It was two years and three weeks ago that Pickens, during his rookie year, had his first career 100-yard game (six catches, 122 yards on Oct. 2, 2022) in what was his only other time facing the Jets.

The Steelers lost that game. Sunday, they had one of their biggest wins (by margin) in recent years, and it was in no small part aided by Pickens’ production.

“The combination of him and Russ, he got the best of us,” Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “We need to play it better and also need to provide more schematic answers and more help in those times.”