Category: 2024 season Week 12 – Steelers vs Browns

Russell Wilson defends George Pickens’ Week 12 Hail Mary participation

Steelers QB Russell Wilson defended George Pickens after Week 12, crediting the Browns’ defense instead of placing fault on his teammate.

While there may be a fine line between practice squad players and starters, there appears to be an enormous gap in the opinions of the former and current quarterbacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers QB Russell Wilson appears to hold a completely opposite stance to that of former legendary Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger regarding WR George Pickens’ less-than-ideal participation on Week 12’s Hail Mary play, which led to Pittsburgh’s third loss of the season.

While Roethlisberger pulled no punches on his podcast, stating that Pickens drove him “bonkers” during the game, Wilson defended his teammate and number one WR during Wednesday’s media availability. As shown by ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor on social media, Wilson credited the Cleveland Browns’ defense rather than placing any fault on Pickens:

This could be Wilson trying his best to keep his receiver in good spirits, but it is truly inspiring to see the quarterback display impressive qualities of leadership and poise after such a heartbreaking play and loss in Week 12.

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Cleveland photographer brings new life to George Pickens-Greg Newsome altercation

Cleveland.com’s photographer Joshua Gunter provided a close-up look at the altercation between George Pickens and Greg Newsome in Week 12.

For Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, when it rains, it pours. Much criticism and blame have been placed on the wide receiver—not only for his lack of effort on the final Hail Mary pass from QB Russell Wilson but also for a potential NFL investigation into his fight with Cleveland Browns CB Greg Newsome II.

Just as news surrounding the situation began to die down, an interesting and unique perspective from Cleveland.com sideline photographer Joshua Gunter surfaced, offering an up-close and personal look at the altercation.

While Gunter’s ability to continue taking photos after being caught in the skirmish is admirable, the truly remarkable takeaway is his close-up compilation of what took place between Pickens and Newsome:

The video appears to showcase Pickens’ innocence in the altercation’s aftermath, suggesting that Newsome was holding his helmet down while Pickens was trying to free himself. While Newsome claimed Pickens was a “fake tough guy,” it seems the only “fake” aspect of this altercation was Newsome’s complete blame of Pickens.

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Pittsburgh Steelers DT denies weather caused Week 12 loss

DT Cam Heyward dismissed the ‘bad weather’ excuse for the Steelers’ loss, emphasizing execution as the key factor against Cleveland.

It appears Steelers DT Cam Heyward needs to have a chat with WR George Pickens about making zero excuses for a loss. While Pickens blamed the team’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns on bad weather, Heyward recently dismissed this sentiment on his podcast, Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.

On episode 97—a truly fitting number for Heyward—the veteran Steeler tackled claims that weather played any role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns: “Fourth down, I thought we were going to get off the field, and you know, that’s going to stick with me. But we had our opportunities. They executed better, and the weather really didn’t play a part because both teams had to deal with it.”

Fans can empathize with Heyward’s disappointment in his defense and the Pittsburgh Steelers as a whole, but the team will look to get back on track against a tough divisional rival, the Cincinnati Bengals, on December 1 at 1:00 PM EST.

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Former Steelers QB offers harsh criticism of WR George Pickens

Ben Roethlisberger calls out George Pickens for his role in the Steelers’ failed Hail Mary, offering tough love on his podcast.

Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, along with much of Steelers Nation, was upset to witness one of the most poorly executed Hail Mary plays in NFL history.

During Big Ben’s podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former Steelers QB’s mood immediately soured when discussing WR George Pickens and his role in the failed Hail Mary play: “George is fighting with a guy before the ball is even in the air.”

Big Ben continued by offering Pickens some tough love, stating, “I’d like to see George in that situation, get out of your head for a second, like try and make a play first. If you want to fight a dude and do all this at the end of the game, which seems to be like what he’s doing now, if you want to do that at the end when the play’s over, go for it.”

Pickens should take Big Ben’s words to heart, as his immature antics seem to be escalating with each week. Fans can only hope he redeems himself in time for Week 13’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Former Steelers QB believes team was rushed on Week 12 field goal miss

Big Ben joins fans in critiquing the Steelers’ time management issues during their Week 12 loss, specifically on a missed field goal.

Steelers fans and former players unite! It appears former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shares a similar sentiment with fans concerned about Pittsburgh’s poor time management during the team’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns—specifically one rushed play that led to Chris Boswell missing a 58-yard field goal.

On the most recent episode of Big Ben’s podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former QB stated, “What felt weird to me is that it felt rushed. The field goal felt rushed. Was it a late field goal call? Was Coach Tomlin thinking about punting it first and then he’s like, ‘Oh, let’s go field goal,’ because it just looked like the play clock was getting low.”

Roethlisberger’s analysis, like his throws against Cleveland, is right on the money. Tomlin also seemed confused and lost with the use of timeouts in the second half, and it appeared the team was unprepared throughout the winter wonderland that was Week 12’s Thursday Night Football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to improve their preparedness ahead of an impressive Cincinnati Bengals offense in Week 13 on December 1st at 1:00 PM EST.

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Mike Tomlin defends strange Week 12 coaching decision

Mike Tomlin stands by his Week 12 decision to use Justin Fields over Russell Wilson on a critical third down, despite growing criticism.

One of the strangest decisions from Week 12’s contest was keeping QB Russell Wilson on the sideline while a questionable Justin Fields package saw the backup QB miss an important throw to WR George Pickens.

When asked about the call during the Week 13 press conference, HC Mike Tomlin stated, “We felt good about it. It was a weighty moment. It was third and medium. They had eleven guys within five yards of the line of scrimmage. We had GP matched up on a corner not named Denzel Ward. That feels like more than a fifty-fifty ball to me, and so we were comfortable with that decision.”

The reporter didn’t let Tomlin off the hook that easily, continuing to question the choice, especially since Fields hadn’t thrown in an NFL game for over a month. Tomlin was dismissive, keeping it short and to the point, stating that the decision would have been made regardless of the possible rust on Fields’ arm.

Tomlin offered zero regrets about the risky third-down play call, but the Steelers should stick to the basics as they prepare for the Week 13 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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ESPN ponders whether Steelers have a George Pickens problem

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith weighs in on George Pickens’ Week 12 postgame comments, sparking debate about whether the Steelers have a problem.

As many fans are well aware, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens’ antics both during and after the team’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns left much to be desired. Pickens has found himself embroiled in drama throughout the 2024 season, and it appears his recent Week 12 behavior, along with his postgame comments blaming the weather for the loss, was enough to draw the attention of ESPN.

On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, host Molly Qerim posed a question that has been on the minds of Steelers fans: “Do the Steelers have a George Pickens problem?” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith responded, stating that while he didn’t believe Pickens was a problem for the organization, he felt Pickens was wrong to make excuses for his team’s Week 12 performance: “You’re a Pittsburgh Steeler. I’ve never heard a Pittsburgh Steeler in my life complain about inclement weather.”

Smith is correct in his assessment, and the Pittsburgh Steelers could do without one of their star players drawing attention to themselves for all the wrong reasons.

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Steelers fans react to Mike Tomlin’s bizarre Week 12 coaching strategy

Steelers fans voice frustration over Mike Tomlin’s Week 12 coaching decisions after the team’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The more things change for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the more they stay the same. Regardless of Mike Tomlin’s excellent coaching resume, some fans love to hate the Steelers’ head coach.

While much of the criticism surrounding Tomlin over the past few years has been unfounded, his coaching decisions in Week 12 left plenty to be desired.

For example, some fans argue that Tomlin directly cost the Pittsburgh Steelers the game when he made the call to accept an illegal touching penalty on an offensive lineman during fourth down. This decision gave the Cleveland Browns another opportunity to complete a third-down conversion in prime scoring position. His bizarre choice ultimately backfired, as Browns RB Nick Chubb ran in the game-deciding touchdown just a few plays later.

Another questionable aspect of Tomlin’s Week 12 performance was his awkward usage of the team’s second-half timeouts, leaving little to no time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to stage a last-minute comeback.

The Steel City has one of the most passionate sports fanbases in the world, and here are some of the best fan reactions to Tomlin’s odd coaching decisions in Week 12.

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Steelers QB disappointed in one particular play from Week 12

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields reflects on a missed scoring opportunity during Week 12’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.

It’s safe to say that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields is upset about more than just his team’s loss in Week 12 to the Cleveland Browns. Steelers OC Arthur Smith implemented Fields’ rushing package early and often against the Browns, with little success to show for it.

Perhaps the only meaningful rushing attempt worth mentioning was Fields’ 30-yard run that almost resulted in a touchdown. The keyword here is “almost,” as instead of rushing for 65 yards to the end zone, Fields was pushed out at the Browns’ 35-yard line.

Ultimately, according to ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, Fields claimed his inability to score on the play made him “sick” and blamed it on being on the sideline for too long.

It is clear that Fields is referencing his time on the bench, while starting QB Russell Wilson handled the majority of the offensive duties. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers allow Fields to get more reps with his rushing package to stay loose, or will his presence only hinder the Wilson-led Steelers offense?

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NFL investigation could cost George Pickens

The league will look into the final play of the Steelers loss to the Browns to see if there should be any punishment on George Pickens.

According to Cleveland Browns writer Mary Kay Cabot, the NFL is going to be investigating a fight at the end of the Pittsburgh 24-19 loss to the Browns on Thursday night. The fight happened between Steelers wide receiver George Pickens and Browns cornerback Greg Newsome at the end of the game.

“The NFL will review George Pickens instigating a fight with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome after the Hail Mary at the end of the Browns’ 24-19 upset of the Steelers, and a fine could be coming,” Cabot said.

After watching the play more times than I care to admit, I’m not at all convinced Pickens was the instigator of the scrum. It looks like Newsome is basically riding Pickens down the field the last 10 yards as the two are locked up and Pickens takes the offensive once the two are at the back of the end zone.

This in no way condones Pickens’ behavior on the play but we cannot rule out Newsome’s involvement. The problem is Pickens has become a problem and is on the NFL’s radar. The league could review his attempt to trip Cleveland safety Grant Delpit after a play and fine him for that move as well.

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