PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It stands to reason that if you only throw so many passes, when you bring back another receiver, plus your best pass-catching tight end, it would mean someone will see fewer opportunities. Does that mean we see less of George Pickens Sunday in Los Angeles?
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett doesn’t believe that will be the case, or at least it won’t minimize his potential impact on the offense.
“I think it helps balance the team's a little bit, you know, George was getting a lot of attention,” Pickett said. “He was still having success, but there were still a lot of attention going to 14’s way. Now that 18 is back out there. I feel like he kind of balances us up a little bit. So, you know, good to see how they play us here on Sunday.”
“I'll figure it out.”
Ultimately where the ball goes is on him, but to Pickett’s point, what type of defense they play will determine where the ball will go as well. The game plan heading into the Rams game matters and the execution by all on offense plays a part.
“It will take a lot off his plate,” Johnson said Wednesday of how his return impacts Pickens. “It allows us to getting back to doing what we do best which is playing football and making plays. George is going to be George out there. We feed off each other. When he makes a play, I make a play. When he makes a play, it gets me hyped and vice versa.”
Pickett praised Johnson’s route running and understanding of the offense. That Diontae knows what to do and if he has one-on-one coverage, he can trust that Johnson will make the play. He’s also someone Pickett can lean on when they need to move the chains.
Johnson isn’t the only one back to help the overall passing game, Pickett has Pat Freiermuth likely returning. He has only six catches this year, but a pair of touchdowns. It’s also likely they will have their starting offensive line healthy and the ability to sprinkle in running back Anthony McFarland into the mix.
Pitt on Pitt crime
Pickett is well aware of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, it would be hard to play football at Pitt and not hear the stories, see the awards and there is the fact he spent a million dollars for the sponsorship of a part of the Panthers practice facility.
Leaving high school to enroll at Pitt in the Winter semester of what would have been his senior year, Pickett said he got to Spring drills and would see Donald working out. He said here he is as essentially a high school student watching him train.
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“It was cool, man,” Pickett said. “He kind of showed me the way and showed me how to train and how to work. From afar I would just watch. I never really talk just hello's until I earned his respect to be able to talk to him a little bit more. But he's, there's a reason he is who he is, and he works hard.”
“Showed me the ropes, showed me the way just from afar, watching how he works at Pitt. So, grateful for the experience that I had with him. Those are some of the reasons why he's a great player.”
Pickett said the minute you watch tape of the Rams defense, you realize he’s still an unbelievable player. He called Donald one of the best ever to do it and it’s clear as day when you prepare to play him.
“He has not lost a step clearly and then; how successful he's been this season and what he's been doing to teams,” Pickett said. “So, it's going to be a challenge. We just got to try and manage it the best we can.”