The Pittsburgh Steelers are exiting their bye week with a 3-1 record and atop the NFL’s AFC North Division. They have also gotten some good fortune from injuries within their division than the overall performance of the Steelers, especially their offense. The Steelers defense may have been slightly porous during the first few games of the season. However, the defense has caused 10 turnovers but the offense has coughed up the ball three times, giving the team a plus-7 in the turnover battle so far in 2025. If the Steelers had not been so eager to expedite the departure of a once-in-a generation talent, they might be on the verge of greatness in 2025. With the unceremonious departure of George Pickens, the yinzers got what they wanted: the power to dropkick another player who was culturally incompatible with them straight into the chilly waters of the “Mon” wearing only a bubblegum lifejacket.
There is a huge difference in the media coverage of Black athletes. I have preached this next phrase or a phrase similar to it for more than four decades. I have chosen my life’s work to validate and maintain the Afrocentric paradigm of sports. Others have chosen to use the generational Eurocentric paradigm as a method to violate and castigate the excellence of Black athletes and their contributions to the world of sports. Now that ex-Steeler wideout George Pickens has been exiled to the Lone Star State, all of a sudden the yinzers have attended the latest tent revival out on the range and it has been revealed to them after the fact, that all of men’s room, gather-round-the-toilet chatter was just that. Pickens was defined as a possible “cancer” in the locker room of the Black and Gold. In the interim, many folks have pined and whined for wide receiver Roman Wilson to step up and show out. Hell, that being the case, they might as well as throw Woodrow Wilson, Flip Wilson, Jackie Wilson, or Wilson’s meats into the mix. It doesn’t really matter,
The unholy roller’s tent meeting is over. A few folks are seeing the results of their “get rid of Pickens campaign” and it has them sinking in the “quicksand of stupid.” All of the George Pickens haters are suddenly experiencing seller’s remorse.
There was a recent article posted on sports.yahoo.com: “Steelers fans lament the George Pickens trade.”
An excerpt from the article says: “The trade that sent wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys was supposed to be addition by subtraction for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Trade away a talented malcontent and use that draft capital to help the team next offseason. Meanwhile, the team traded for wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who didn’t have the same reputation for being a maturity red flag and was nearly as talented.”
There are many times in the case of certain athletes, maturity is defined by silence and the acceptance of the status quo. At this point in the season, the 3-1 won-loss record may be a hybrid of performance and smoke and mirrors. Despite the hype, the offense of Pittsburgh is ranked 28th out of 32 NFL teams. Pickens has also been vilified as a troublemaker and just a general malcontent and a terrible teammate. The article continues on pointing out that: “Some Steelers fans are having seller’s remorse as they watch Pickens not only put up great numbers with the Cowboys but also be a great teammate. The first part doesn’t surprise us but the second is a different matter.”
It doesn’t surprise folks that George Pickens is a great player, but according to some folks, his character and attitude are lacking.
“MetcalfBurgh” posted on “Cesspool-book” (Facebook) that “George Pickens is a horrible teammate and a locker-room cancer!”
You see how “MetcalfBurgh” tossed the name of the Steelers’ number one wide receiver into the tapestry of lies about George Pickens long after he has fled the North Shore and is not only surviving but thriving down in cattle country. There is an article written by Anthony G. Halkias and posted on steelernation.com that the Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith may have joined the bus drivers’ union as he attempts to drive the bus over his own players and his offensive scheme. Halkias quotes Arthur Smith as saying, “When it’s the run game, I believe we had three possessions in the first half,” Smith told reporters. “The first two got 14 points, got in a rhythm. Then we missed that third down, and then they had that long drive, I believe, right? Then we got the interception and took a knee. So, it wasn’t a lot of possessions. I think even some of the runs we didn’t hit, if you just look at the combination blocks, that’s what’s exciting,” Smith said. “We had a run that, I think, that bounced, those are the things you’ve got to work on. At the point of attack, Troy [Fautanu] and Mason [McCormick], that’s about as good of a duo blocking you’ll see. We’ve just got to continue to keep working. Obviously, in the third quarter, we stalled out. Then we had the penalties, and we were just off track. Then in the fourth quarter, we did run the ball late. That last drive, we chewed up a lot of the clock. You don’t want to give up on it just because you stall out in the third quarter. So, we weren’t just an obvious one-dimensional offense.”
“So, it wasn’t a lot of possessions.” The Steelers offense has been gift wrapped turnover after turnover and has been predictable by running the ball on first down after first down and Arthur Smith has the nerve to say, “We weren’t just an obvious one-dimensional offense.” So you are running a one-half dimensional offense and it is obvious to every defensive coordinator in the NFL.
The Steelers coaches, fans and the rottweilers protecting the house should not feel good about the Steelers offense, especially when their upcoming schedule will be far from a walk in the park, OK? No, not really.