Rams Messed With Steelers WR George Pickens
PITTSBURGH -- On two instances, late in the fourth quarter of a tight game against the Los Angeles Rams, two Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers let their emotions get the best of them and were subsequently flagged for taunting penalties.
The Steelers overcame those penalties levied against George Pickens and Diontae Johnson and beat the Rams, which is likely why head coach Mike Tomlin saw them not as reckless fouls but as encouraging signs of passion in his team.
“I appreciate the fight that the guys displayed," Tomlin said. "They’ve got a don’t blink mentality. Obviously, we’ve got to clean up some things as far as management of our emotions, but I would rather say ‘woah’ than ‘sick ‘em.’
Pickens said he thought the Rams were intentionally trying to elicit a personal foul for him. He claimed they pushed him to the ground, talked plenty of trash and tried to get under his skin.
"I felt like, personally, a game like this showed me they’re kind of looking for me to kind of mess up and guys are antagonizing me more because today is the first time I’d seen anything like that," Pickens said. "Guys really trying to get me out of the game or get under my skin deliberately."
Pickens earned his taunting penalty after hauling in an 18-yard pass while covered by Rams safety Russ Yeast, who he had hit hard earlier in the game on a run that was called back because Pickens was ruled to have blocked from the blindside.
From there, Pickens believed the Los Angeles secondary continued to try and throw him off his game. After he was flagged for taunting later in the second half, coaches pulled him and Johnson aside for a short conversation.
“They were just saying to stay in it because, in the moment, you can’t spiral out because then the result can be different," Pickens said. "But they were just saying to stay in it.”
Pickens added that he wasn't surprised by taunting or blindside block calls that went against him. He disagreed with the calls but expected some home cooking for the Rams in Los Angeles.
Still, whatever the Rams did - whether it was mental or physical - to slow down Pickens didn't work. He finished the game with five receptions for 107 yards, a reflection of what Tomlin said was the fantastic competitive spirit his team has. The Steelers head coach wants his players to channel that energy, not contain it.
"We've got some guys that are competitors," Tomlin said. "They’ve just got to compete in the appropriate and mature and professional way.”
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