Steelers Russell Wilson, George Pickens Show Impressive Early Chemistry

The connection between Russell Wilson and George Pickens has been one of the more electric storylines for the Steelers over the past month, not only in Pittsburgh but across the entire NFL. Even after the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback missed so much practice time via injury, there have been no signs of rust in his game and the symmetry between the two players has been seamless.

Since the Week 7 quarterback switch, George Pickens has accumulated 276 receiving yards and two touchdown grabs on 14 receptions. His target share during that time frame is nearly 25% which shows how intentional the offense and Wilson himself have been in getting the star playmaker the ball whenever applicable.

Pittsburgh’s approach to this new-look offense has been thoughtful to say the least and they’ve been rewarded with excellent results thus far. They’re still a run-heavy attack but they’re using his big play ability to provide the explosive that were previously missing through the first portion of the 2024 season.

Throughout his career, Wilson’s best moments have come when he’s operated on lower volume with an offensive coordinator who caters to his strengths as a play action deep ball passer. With him under center, the offense is 10th in EPA/play league-wide and has averaged a healthy 30 points per game.

The soon-to-be 36-year old has seen his athleticism wane in recent years but there’s no denying that he’s still one of the more dangerous deep-ball throwers that we have in our game right now. Only Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson have completed more passes over 20+ yards over the past month and that was with both signal callers playing an additional game in that time frame.

He’s had some talented receivers to work with over the years, even a couple players that have similar vertical skill sets such as DK Metcalf in Seattle and Courtland Sutton in Denver. The Seahawks number one option exploded on to the scene with Wilson as his quarterback, registering over 1,300 receiving yards in 2020 despite it being just his second season as a pro.

Nothing went right for anyone in Denver during that era but Sutton did notch double digit touchdown catches for the first time in his career with Wilson under center. He’s proven on multiple occasions that he can support an alpha out wide and help them reach their potential. From strictly a talent perspective, there’s an argument to be made that Pickens is the most gifted player that Wilson has ever played with.

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Up to this point, Pickens ranks ninth in total receiving yards but his efficiency numbers are what really stand out. His 2.59 yards per route run figure is seventh at his position among guys that have seen at least 20 targets this season. That’s rare territory as there were only nine players that finished over that 2.5 mark last season, including superstars like Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb.

These are the established number one receivers and that’s where Pickens is starting to trend from a production standpoint. Since Week 7, that figure has further ballooned to 3.17 with him being the engine of the entire passing game while gaining Wilson’s trust essentially on the fly. We’ve seen glimpses of spectacular moments with Pickens throughout his time in steel city but with improved quarterback play this season, it feels like the production is starting to match his raw talent.

Not only has offensive coordinator Arthur Smith done a nice job tweaking his system to fit Wilson’s ultra-specific skill set, but they’re leaning into the things that these players do well and that’s push the ball down the field. Any time that the defense is giving a man coverage pre-snap tell, Wilson is looking in No. 14’s direction first and foremost. The touchdown toss in the Commanders game was a perfect example of just giving your guy a chance to make a play in the red zone area.

The Steelers aligned him in the slot, which they’ve done at a higher rate this season, and Pickens was able to win on a corner route headed towards the back pylon. Whether intentional or not, the throw was placed back shoulder but Pickens signature body control was on a display and he hauled in the pass that ended up setting social media ablaze immediately after.

During Justin Fields’ time as a starter, it’s not as even though he wasn’t playing solid football or that Pickens was unproductive. It’s just that he was playing a more safe brand of ball, focusing more on playing a risk-averse style. With Wilson in the lineup, they’ve pushed the ball down the field at every opportunity and because of this, they’ve been able to keep Pickens more engaged during that time.

Essentially every receiver has some diva tendencies to their personality and Pickens is certainly a mercurial individual to say the least but Pittsburgh’s offense is at it’s best when the ball is finding him. Wilson’s been doing this a long time and he understands the dynamics of how these relationships work. Sometimes, it’s really as simple as throwing the ball in No. 14’s vicinity and giving him a chance to make a play on the football.

Since becoming a starter, Wilson ranks 6th in EPA/play and Pickens looks rejuvenated after a facing some criticism following the Cowboys loss. The moonball has returned in peak form and it’s a big reason that this team controls their own destiny in the AFC North down the stretch. Just like with any three-game sample size, it’s worth noting that the duo has to prove that this is sustainable long-term. However, the early returns have been about as good as any Steelers fan, or even Mike Tomlin, could have hoped for when the switch was announced. The two skill sets seem to be a match made in deep ball heaven and if this bond continues to strengthen, Pittsburgh’s ceiling offensively will expand.

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