Production in 1st game didn’t match the hype, but George Pickens stays the course for Steelers

With each acrobatic play, the hype built.

Every time a quarterback felt compelled to throw George Pickens’ way — that happened a lot — and he beat a veteran defensive back in a one-on-one drill, onlookers took notice.

Every score in seven shots, every so-called “combat catch,” all were well-received and noted by the fans at Saint Vincent. Word, of course, got out from Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, and soon Pickens was considered a star rookie in the making. A second-round pick, some sportsbooks even installed Pickens as the favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The excitement was warranted. But Pickens’ NFL debut? It fell flat.

At least as far as production. Pickens stat line during Sunday’s season opener: one catch, 3 yards.

For a 6-foot-3, 200-pound, former five-star recruit-turned-college-national-champion, was that type of production frustrating for an NFL debut? Even if it did come in a 23-20 overtime win at the Cincinnati Bengals?

“Me personally, I probably would say yeah, for me,” Pickens said after Friday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “But as a team, our objective and goal, we won. So I wasn’t even down on myself, and it was my first game so I was just really glad we got the (win).”

Pickens wasn’t without contribution to the win, either. The first time an NFL regular-season pass was thrown his way, Pickens drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone midway through the second quarter. The Steelers scored their first offensive touchdown of the season two plays later.

Though Pickens’ only catch came in the fourth quarter, he was targeted on consecutive snaps during a third-quarter drive by new Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky. On the second of those throws, Pickens beat Cincinnati cornerback Chidobe Awuzie clean down the right sideline, but Trubisky’s throw 30 yards downfield sailed well out of bounds.

“I didn’t want to take a sack versus Cover Zero,” Trubisky said, explaining that the Bengals had more pass-rushers than the Steelers were prepared to block. “I definitely could have left it in bounds to give him more of a chance, but it was more that nobody was going to catch the ball than getting it to George.

“But I’m definitely looking to get him more opportunities this week.”

Pickens, of course, would welcome that.

“Of course I want to make a few plays,” he said. “Help the team produce.”

Steelers receiver George Pickens leaps over James Pierre during a tackling drill as the rookie once again flashes his talent to all watching at Saint Vincent College. pic.twitter.com/bxv99yTuOr

— Charles Palla (@ChazPalla) August 11, 2022

Pickens is still adjusting to NFL life. Just 21 years old, he had played in just 24 lifetime games above the high school level and only 12 games the previous 2½ years before suiting up in Cincinnati. A torn ACL during spring 2021 practice at Georgia meant Pickens played only a part-time role and in just four games for the Bulldogs last season.

Perhaps under that context, it shouldn’t be surprising Pickens was not as immediately impactful on the Steelers offense as had been hoped.

Then again, Georgia was so good last year that it barely needed any contributions from Pickens.

“The biggest thing I learned in my first regular-season (NFL) game was really that, as an overtime game and being as serious as it got, that things are not like college where it’s 30-0, 30-7, 40-14,” Pickens said. “Every game in the NFL is going to be close, and every game is going to be competitive.”

Pickens welcomes that his first NFL home game will come against the New England Patriots, whose legendary coach, Bill Belichick, was periodically a guest speaker at the Georgia football facility as a guest of coach Kirby Smart.

Pickens said the lessons he learned from Belichick revolved around discipline and fundamentals.

It sounds as if he also learned to take each game as its own entity and not let a lack of personal production — or even a mediocre outing by the offense on whole — affect the outlook for future games.

“That was just the first game,” Pickens said. “This is the second game. By the time we get to the fourth and fifth, things will start being routine.”

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.