George Pickens News

Pickens made the most of his six targets, tallying receptions of 31, 24 and 17 yards. He tallied his fourth touchdown of the season on the longest of those gains, and three of those scores came in his last eight games. Pickens closes his rookie campaign with 52 receptions for 801 yards, and he may be in line to take over as Pittsburgh's top pass catcher in 2023.

The Steelers continue to commit to a run-heavy gameplan on their recent run of success, resulting in no receiver netting over 36 receiving yards Sunday. Pickens possesses the talent to produce big fantasy totals despite the occasional dud, and he has developed a strong rapport with fellow rookie Kenny Pickett. The young quarterback-receiver duo will look for improved results in Pittsburgh's final attempt to sneak in the playoffs against Cleveland on Sunday.

Pickens was only the fourth-most targeted pass catcher in Pittsburgh's offense, but he was impactful with his opportunity. He accounted for the Steelers' longest pass play of the game on a 25-yard catch early in the third quarter, and he also scored the team's only touchdown with only 50 seconds remaining in the game. Despite inconsistent production, Pickens continues to flash the ability to produce big plays. Positively, he's now topped 50 receiving yards in five of his last six games.

Pickens made another impressive contested catch during the first half, going for 38 yards on what was ultimately Pittsburgh's longest passing play of the game. The rookie only hauled in one other throw his way, but Pickens has still now topped 50 yards in four of his last five games.

Pickens was an afterthought in terms of targets, and he's now seen four or fewer looks in four of his last six games. However, he continued to show off his playmaking ability by recording receptions of 42 and 25 yards. While he has only one touchdown in that span, Pickens has five catches of 20 or more yards in his last four contests.

Pickens had racked up at least 50 yards from scrimmage over his three appearances following Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye, but he was held in check during Sunday's narrow win over the Falcons. The rookie second-rounder has been more involved in the Steelers' offense after the team traded Chase Claypool to the Bears, and Pickens will have a chance to bounce back against a favorable Baltimore secondary in Week 14.