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George Pickens: I’m the best receiver in the world

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Blast Furnace, Jul 31, 2023.

  1. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    It’s a lot better but no, I didn’t say I wanted that, just that if he goes down the wrong path he’d be more like Owens than AB.

    WR’s rarely spend their whole careers with one team anymore. Steelers rarely even offer a second contract.
     
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  2. TheTerribleOwl

    TheTerribleOwl Well-Known Member

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    Just absurd the lengths to which Steelers fans will go to get upset about nothing. I think y'inz are all traumatized from AB. George has has done nothing wrong. At least wait for him to do something.
     
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  3. Busman

    Busman

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    Wait for it. It's too early to call it either way but AB was not a jagoff in his second year. It took some time.
     
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  4. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Well if You really think about it there is a reason they don't give out 2nd contracts. From failed drug test, busted with weed, acting a fool, and not good enough. All the Guys We would have kept, or tried to keep since Ward has fallen into one of these categories.
     
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  5. TheTerribleOwl

    TheTerribleOwl Well-Known Member

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    Sign me up for another AB any day of the week. If we get that many stud years of play from Pickens that will be incredible. And there is nothing that Pickens has said or done that in any way indicates that he is going to be AB. Unless you think any player who believes in himself and wants to be great is a potential problem. People are looking for something with Pickens that is not there. His college teammates and coaches loved him. The BS media driven stories about him being a problem were all from him fighting in a game. Big deal. Give me a guy with fire over one without every single time.
     
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  6. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Name Me one player....just one....that has had problems....that their teammates, and coaches said they didn't love before it got to bad.
     
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  7. Hanratty#5

    Hanratty#5 Well-Known Member

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    I didn't see any red flags from Pickens last year maybe just a small incident after the Falcons game. He only had 1 catch for 3 yards and was pissed about it after the game even though the Steelers won. That could be because it was in Atlanta and he wanted to put on a show for his hometown area. If there is nothing more that going forward then we don't have anything to worry about.
     
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  8. TheTerribleOwl

    TheTerribleOwl Well-Known Member

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    Again, I don't have a problem with the most talented receiver on the team being pissed when he gets no targets so that DJ can get us 6 YPA and no TDs. I am also pissed at that point.
     
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  9. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Pickens pouting on the sidelines as a rookie about not getting the ball, there are better ways to go about it.
     
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  10. Brice

    Brice

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    DJ: Hey you may remember me I am WR #1.

     
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  11. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Just chilling

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  12. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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  13. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Just chilling

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    I thought I just did
     
  14. DJ18Baller

    DJ18Baller Well-Known Member

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    Pickens needs to chill out guy is acting like he’s Justin Jefferson. Dude caught 4 TDs last year you would think he caught 40. Produce big guy and let the work do the talking for you.

    He has certainly made some crazy highlight reel catches already though.
     
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  15. SGSteeler

    SGSteeler Well-Known Member

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    Perfectly said
     
  16. SteelersFan369

    SteelersFan369 Well-Known Member

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    As a rookie, he led the team in receiving TDs, YPC, and came in second receiving yards (DJ was targeted 157 times and caught for 882 yards and Pickens was targeted 82 times and caught for 801 yards). How is the fault of the offensive lack of production on him. He has been impressive on the field with a terrible offense.


    https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2023/7/31/23813553/george-pickens-pittsburgh-steelers-nfl-receiver

    The short scouting report on Pickens’s rookie season is that he caught passes most people don’t: He had the most contested catches by a rookie that Pro Football Focus has ever charted. He finished second in the NFL last year in catch rates over expectation, a metric that measures catch rates relative to the difficulty of the catch. (Remember this now-famous clip of a catch he made against the Browns last September?) He did this while stretching the field vertically—no one in the NFL ran more straightforward “go” routes last season. And only two players produced more big plays per opportunity. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett had near-flawless numbers when targeting Pickens last season—the Steelers’ only two explosive touchdowns (they ranked last in the league) were thrown by Pickett to Pickens.


    Things changed for George Pickens forever when he realized that he could just knock guys on their asses. It was his freshman year at Georgia, and Pickens noticed that in the first milliseconds after the snap, cornerbacks sat in a “toilet” position. So he just started pushing them down.

    “That’s part of my game, the absurdness,” Pickens says. “Nobody ever thought to do this. Cornerbacks are worried about their feet, their hand placement, and they don’t realize they are on their heels in a seated chair position. All I have to do is push. And that was a shock to everybody because people are like, ‘It’s not illegal, but I never thought to do it.’ So it’s become one of my go-tos.” He chuckles as I show him a compilation video of him doing this at the NFL level last year on Pittsburgh Steelers run plays: shoving Detroit Lions defensive back Will Harris to the ground in the preseason, then Seattle Seahawks rookie Coby Bryant. He says some cornerbacks operate in such a vulnerable stance that he could knock them down by just blowing on them. Instead, he shoves them as hard as he can to be sure.

     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2023
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  17. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Nobody is saying He isn't good....I ....Myself say that as soon as a player starts buying into their own hype bad things start happening for the team. Ab, L bell,and S Holmes just a few off the top of My head....and yes everyone of them ,the coaches, and teammates stood behind, Loved, and talked great about.....until they didn't. Also not a one of them started talking this quickly.
     
  18. SteelersFan369

    SteelersFan369 Well-Known Member

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    Why are people worrying about it now. Pickett and Pickens are both under contract through 2025. Barring major injury, Steelers will need to pay heavily for both. Pickens will only be 24 at the end of 2025. Pickens may be gone to the highest bidder then. Too far away to worry about someone who might not even be on team in 2026. Enjoy his skills while we have him.
     
  19. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Only worried because I'm a Steelers fan....otherwise I wouldn't care.....also You could say that about all the others I named except L. Bell .....they all still had years under contract .....that's why they were traded. We didn't traded AB, and S. Holmes because they weren't good anymore.
     
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  20. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Pickens could also be pissed at the fact that Matt Canada did not set him, nor the entire Offense for that matter, for any sort or form of success. Even during the teams turnaround during the second half of the season.... the Offense still felt disjointed more often than not. Granted, Pickett still learning the ropes of what it means to be an NFL QB (still will for he is still young but not nearly as much), an Offensive Line very much in development due to another Offensive Line Coaching Change and the entire Offense itself being young did Canada little favors.



    That said, work with what you have. Maximize who you have. It still pisses me off that Canada didn't even know that Diontae Johnson was the most open of any Wide Receiver in Football; article here. Again, Pickett still learning did not assist but not placing Diontae in winnable situations was just as bad, if not worse, than what Pickett was doing.
     
  21. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    :hmm:



    I don't think George Pickens will have to worry about receiving his fair share of targets. Should the positive reviews of him in Training Camp, along with health of course, carry over from Pre Season to the Regular Season, George Pickens will become the new Number 1 in Pittsburgh. Again, many draft experts and pundits had Pickens going in Round 1 in 2022.... had it not been for an ACL during the spring of 2021.


    Hell... if anything, much of this was already confirmed heading into the second half of 2023 anyhow. During that second half of the season, Pickens cranked up his performances in a big way; earning more and more of Pickett's trust in the process. Who's to say that, along with him and Pickett working out together earlier in the year, is not expected to carry over in 2023?! For that matter and, if I remember correctly, Diontae even admitted he wished he could have been with Pickett during some of those workouts with Pickett earlier in the year. Hell, look at how Allen Robinson is; doubly so since he has gotten time to work with Kenny Pickett.



    Why do I keep mentioning Kenny some may ask?! Has a lot more to do with him just merely being the QB. Kenny can throw the football; in the pocket (how much better we shall see) and on the move. However, what is greatly forgotten about Pickett is that his greatest strength is how rhythmic he is as a passer. Best way to get on a QB's good side who has such a quality?!.... Develop a relationship. Now, can Diontae?! Of course he can. Will his numbers improve. Absolutely...



    ... Will George Pickens likely be the Star Receiver of the Offense?!... Most Definitely.
     
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  22. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Just chilling

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    I have seen this comment by one form or another posted here many times

    You know how when we are loosing badly and the other team let’s players play soft underneath rather than letting them go deep

    That is what teams do with DJ

    Let him catch some easy balls run backwards probably doesn’t get the first down and little YAC and NO chance of him scoring

    It’s good defense

    It should not be a gold star on DJs forehead it’s a pimple on his butt
     
  23. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I thought I just read the article that you thought you posted.
     
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  24. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Just chilling

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    I thought you thought I did think that

    I think
     
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  25. Joshi

    Joshi Well-Known Member

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    Stallworth was also the underdog find by the Steelers, in the same draft as the golden boy Swann. Stallworth didn’t really step out of Swann’s shadow until SB 13 against the Rams. Humble beginnings and a humble person.
     

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