Houston Texans Coach Compares Pittsburgh Steelers George Pickens to DeAndre Hopkins

The Houston Texans will host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday as they celebrate legendary defensive end J.J. Watt and attempt to fight their way to .500 football.

In doing so, they’ll be tasked with stopping a Steelers offense that hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations. Despite an unblemished preseason and a summer’s worth of hype, quarterback Kenny Pickett has struggled in 2023, to the tune of a 59.6% completion percentage, 689 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The offensive line hasn’t been great, the run game is yet to get off the ground, and offensive coordinator Matt Canada is a wanted man in the streets of Pittsburgh. Their receivers have emerged as a strength of the offense, though Diontae Johnson’s injury stings.

Receiver George Pickens is having an encouraging start to his sophomore season, logging 238 yards on just 13 catches. His blend of size in speed makes him a big play threat from anywhere on the field.

Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke spoke this week about Pickens’ skill set.

“Dynamic player, really good at the catch point,” Burke said. “I would say that is one of his specialties.”

The highlight of his season so far was a 71-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns, where his after-the-catch ability was on display. In addition to playing above the rim, he’s explosive enough to embarrass a team struggling to tackle.

He followed that comment with a comparison that the Houston faithful may not appreciate.

“I know this might be blasphemy a little,” Burke continued. “But he reminds me a little bit of DHop [DeAndre Hopkins] in that sense, just put the ball up to him and they trust that he can get it.”

Pickens is a big-play savant and emerging as the Steelers’ top target in 2023 now that Johnson has missed time. A direct comparison to the three-time All-Pro receiver (and Texans legend) may be a tad generous, but Pickens isn’t some flash-in-the-pan receiver.

If not for an ACL tear, Pickens very well could have been a first-round pick. A five-star recruit, talent was never the issue. Now, he’s posing a consistent threat to corners who live in fear of getting beat deep.

“One of our keys to victory is not giving up explosive plays,” Burke said. “And he’s a big factor in that.”

A Houston secondary, missing its best cornerback, has a legitimate challenge ahead if they want to wrap their Ring of Honor celebration up with a win.