Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin could do without any distractions as he and his team muddle through an offensive funk that contributed heavily to their three losses in the past four games.
But the lack of answers has taken a toll on both their record and on the players — most notably wide receiver George Pickens.
Pickens, the Steelers’ leading receiver, has allowed his frustrations to show during several games, enough to draw Mike Tomlin’s attention.
On Monday, Mike Tomlin called Pickens’ outward displays of emotion a “problem” and said he would like the second-year pro to find a different way to vent his concerns.
“It’s a problem because it’s not solution-based,” Mike Tomlin said during his Monday press conference. “You know we are all frustrated, but we got to manage our frustrations in a professional, mature way.”
The Steelers, who rank 26th in total offense, have failed to score more than 20 points in a game over the same time frame.
Last Thursday, Pittsburgh’s offensive woes reached a new low in a 21-18 home loss to the New England Patriots. With Mitchell Trubisky making his first start at quarterback for the injured Kenny Pickett, the Steelers mustered only 264 yards of offense.
The situation might get worse before it improves. Pickett, who injured his ankle during their Week 14 loss to Arizona, has already been ruled out for Saturday’s game at Indianapolis, meaning Trubisky will get his second straight start.
Pickens, a second-round draft pick in 2022 out of Georgia, caught five passes for only 19 yards and was visibly upset on more than one occasion during the loss to the Patriots.I’m not one for players to pout and post when they are upset but I’m on Pickens side this time. Dude is young with a lot of emotion and raw talent he knows his worth. The Steelers are wasting it right now. pic.twitter.com/A1rfBhvmDk
Pickens’ frustration manifested itself both on the field and on the sidelines. On at least one running play, he gave little to no effort in terms of run blocking, and it led to Tomlin having words with his young receiver when he came off the field.
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