The Pittsburgh Steelers got their revenge on the Cleveland Browns 27-14 on Sunday. But they did it without their top wide receiver, George Pickens. And consequently, the offense looked a bit different than normal.
RB Jaylen Warren was the most-targeted Steelers player in the passing game with five. Wide receivers Scotty Miller and Mike Williams tied for second with four. And yet the Steelers still won by two scores. But are the Steelers built to win without Pickens?
“That George Pickens injury has my attention,” said Dan Orlovsky on [Tuesday’s episode of NFL Live](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hJaqdV0iGIET7hf5ZMAgY). “A hamstring. I think Pittsburgh needs to be incredibly cautious with that. Because without him, you have no shot. With him, my tune has changed a little bit more encouraged… Their run game? Still boom-or-bust. They’ve had moments where they run the ball well, but there’s not many efficient moments.”
Orlovsky’s concern makes a lot of sense. George Pickens has stepped up as the number-one receiver in Pittsburgh since the team traded WR Diontae Johnson in the offseason. He’s been targeted 90 times through 12 games, an average of 7.5 targets per game. That’s over a target more than in 2023 which included a stretch of games with Johnson sidelined with injury.
Pickens only has three touchdowns this season, but all three notably came after QB Russell Wilson was inserted into the starting lineup. Before Wilson’s first start which came against the New York Jets, he had only two games (out of six) where he averaged over 10 yards per target. He’s had four such games since Wilson took the field against the Jets (including that very game). And if you’re concerned about yards per catch, he’s had five of his seven games with at least 15 yards per catch with Wilson at quarterback.
George Pickens has taken his game to another level this year with Wilson as his quarterback. And the Steelers offense has looked much better, too. On one hand, that would mean the Steelers want Pickens back as soon as possible to continue their push for the AFC North title.
On the other hand, hamstring injuries (and really any soft tissue injuries) need time to heal. If the Steelers rush Pickens back too soon, they could lose him for longer. [As head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday](https://steelersdepot.com/2024/12/tomlin-george-pickens-hamstring-injury-bit-more-significant-than-initially-thought/), an MRI revealed that the injury was more severe than they originally thought.
The reality is that the Steelers’ offense is struggling to produce consistently outside of Pickens. As Orlovsky said, the run game isn’t consistently good. They’re averaging 3.9 yards per carry this season, which is 29th in the league. That’s the same yards per carry as RB Najee Harris. And the road isn’t getting any easier for the Steelers, either.
They face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles are one of the top teams in the NFC, and it will be a significant test of just how close the Steelers are to being a Super Bowl contender.
The following weekend, the Steelers will face the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch. The Steelers defeated them in the first meeting this season, but a win next weekend could put the nail in the coffin for the Ravens’ AFC North title aspirations.
And then comes Christmas Day and a meeting with the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The point is that beating the Eagles would be great. However, there are bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks. Do the Steelers want to rush George Pickens back and potentially cause even more significant harm? Or will they give him the time needed to heal properly?
Because a healthy George Pickens is a problem for everyone. Former NFL CB Aqib Talib called him a top receiver in the league. And yes, everyone, including the Steelers. But if he makes that hamstring injury worse by coming back too soon, the Steelers will have an even bigger problem than his on-field antics.
A long-term hamstring injury to George Pickens could very well slam the door on any chance of postseason success for the Pittsburgh Steelers.