Steelers working with whine, sour grapes entering road test with Raiders

Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said after last week’s loss to the Cowboys that there’s a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes. But as the Steelers (3-2) prepare to visit Las Vegas (2-3) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS), they’re actually dealing with whine and sour grapes.

Disgruntled wide receivers are a common theme throughout the league in 2024, and Pittsburgh is not immune. That was apparent during Tomlin’s normal Tuesday press conference.

“There were probably 20-25 questions today in the entire press conference and half of them involved George Pickens,” said Matt Williamson on SNR Drive with Dale & Matt.

Tomlin took the professional route.

“I just don’t detail it in settings like this because it’s business between him and me in terms of his growth and development as a player and as a man,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I just don’t think it aids that growth in the development to address it in open settings such as this. Regarding his behavior, I am aware of that, and obviously, that has been and will continue to be addressed.”

Pickens leads the Steelers in both receptions (23) and yards (310) but he doesn’t have a touchdown. In last week’s marathon loss, he got seven targets, matching his per-game average this season.

But even though he dropped one of his opportunities Sunday and didn’t seem to show much effort on other snaps, Pickens is in the middle of a Steelers’ conundrum. Williamson and co-host Dale Lolley explained that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is balancing several priorities, including keeping defenses honest when Pickens is on the field. For instance, when Connor Heyward caught a go-ahead, 16-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields in the third quarter last week, Pickens wasn’t on the field.

“He’s your best receiver; anyone with eyes knows that,” Williamson said. “And if he’s not out there, it’s a red flag, unless he’s running go routes and takes himself out.”

That’s why Smith chose to target Heyward, Williamson said, to offset Pittsburgh’s offensive tendencies. But Williamson also recognized that wide receivers aren’t relevant unless their quarterbacks opt to throw them the ball, and Pickens was upset after catching just three passes.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that there was some behavioral stuff that was being taken care of here,” Williamson said.

“I’m with you; there’s more going on,” Lolley said. “There’s no question, and hopefully that all gets resolved and he gets back to being a star.”

If that happens this week in Las Vegas, Pickens would help the Steelers buck a trend. During the Tomlin era (since 2007), Pittsburgh is just 1-3 on the road against the Raiders. However, they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 23-18 win last season at Allegiant Stadium.