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CINCINNATI — Mike Tomlin has been a staunch defender of George Pickens, but after Pickens committed two personal fouls during Sunday’s win over the Bengals, the Steelers coach acknowledged that something has to change regarding his young wideout.
Pickens, who had to be escorted off the field at the end of last week’s loss in Cleveland, was flagged for both taunting and for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties during Pittsburgh’s 44-38 win. Both penalties minimized the impact of two catches made by Pickens.
“You just have to grow up, man,” Tomlin said. “It’s an emotional game. These divisional games are big. He has a target on his back because he’s George (Pickens). He understands that, but he has to grow up. He has to grow up in a hurry.”
After his first penalty, Tomlin was seen speaking with Pickens on the sideline before giving him a quick embrace. Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson was also in Pickens’ ear throughout the game.
Like Tomlin, Wilson was asked to discuss Pickens and his most recent issues with officials. When asked to discuss Pickens, 99% of Wilson’s response was praise for his 23-year-old teammate who is still learning his way in the NFL. Wilson did, however, acknowledge that Pickens needs to do a better job when it comes to controlling his emotions.
“I was telling him on the sideline, ‘When you’re one of the best in the world, you expect to make those plays, you don’t need to do anything extra necessarily,'” Wilson recalled following Sunday’s win. “He responded and did well with that. … He knows that he can help us in such a great way. He has all year. He’s a great teammate … one of the best teammates in how he works. He’s learning every day. … He’s gotta be smarter, too, though, and he’s gonna do that.”
As Wilson alluded to, Pickens has played an integral role in Pittsburgh’s 9-3 start. But the one thing that is still holding him back are penalties…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-mike-tomlin-acknowledges-that-george-pickens-has-to-grow-up-after-costly-penalties-vs-bengals/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-12-01 23:52:00
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