The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded their second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, wide receiver George Pickens, to the Dallas Cowboys.
Pickens was a Steeler for three seasons and routinely was a thorn in the Ravens’ side. His departure is a positive for the Ravens, though they’re not without a different star receiver with D.K. Metcalf being acquired by the Steelers this offseason.
But how big of a loss is this for the Steelers — or a benefit for Baltimore?
Pickens vs. Ravens
In five regular season games against the Ravens, Pickens went 4-1. In their lone playoff matchup, he went 0-1. But the win total doesn’t paint the full picture.
Game 1 — Dec. 11, 2022
The first contest between Pickens and the Steelers, he showed out. Though the Steelers lost 16-14, his presence was revealed. He caught all three targets thrown his way for 78 yards. The first reception being a deep shot against Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams for 42 yards, moving the Steelers to the 7-yard line. The next play, Pickens drew a DPI penalty on Humphrey in the end zone, and running back Najee Harris scored one play later. His second reception went for 25 yards, once more against Humphrey. Down by six, the Steelers kickstarted their drive with an 11-yard catch to Pickens… against Humphrey.
Ultimately, the Steelers lost as the drive ended with a 40-yard field goal block by Calais Campbell and running out the clock as the Ravens had Anthony Brown as their third-string quarterback in the game.
Game 2 — Jan. 1, 2023
The beginning of the game, Kenny Pickett couldn’t sync up with Pickens. His first pass to Pickens was defended by Brandon Stephens. His second reception target was an illegal touch pass on Pickens.
Then, he converted a critical 3rd & 14 with a 14-yard reception against Stephens. The drive finished with a 51-yard field goal by Boswell to cut the Ravens’ lead, 13-6.
A drive later, he gained another 15 yards against Stephens as the Steelers marched downfield for a 33-yard field goal to further slash the lead, 13-9.
The Ravens’ applied more pressure toward Pickens’ way and were scorched by Pat Freiermuth and Steven Sims, as the due gained 52 yards in three plays, and made it into Ravens’ territory. A few plays later, Harris caught a Pickens touchdown throw and took the 16-13 lead with 56 seconds remaining. The Ravens, with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, failed to drive the ball down for a tie as he was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick and lost, 16-13.
Game 3 — Oct. 8, 2023
The second-year bump for Pickens was real as he finished the season with 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, and led the NFL in 2023 with 18.1 yards per reception. And in Week 5, he carved the Ravens’ defense, finishing with six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown and a 16-yard run.
First reception went for 21 yards against Ronald Darby. The second for 11 yards. Then, he gashed the Ravens for 16 yards on the ground. He gained 23 yards on his third catch, and another 13 two plays later.
In the fourth quarter, with the Ravens’ leading 10-8, the Steelers gained possession after a bad throw by Lamar Jackson to Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone. The Steelers converted a 3rd & 9 but quickly faced another 3rd & 4. But the chains moved yet again with Pickens beating Stephens for a 21-yard gain. Two plays later, the scored the game-winning touchdown on a nine-route for the 41-yard touchdown.
Game 4 — Jan. 6, 2024
The Ravens had locked up the No. 1 seed and decided to rest their starters. The Steelers took advantage and quarterback Mason Rudolph finished near passing perfection, going 18-for-20 passing for 152 yards and a touchdown. However, he fumbled the ball thrice, but recovered two of them. Pickens was not much involved, being held catch-less and one rush for three yards.
Game 5 — Nov. 17, 2024
Pickens finished his final regular season game against the Ravens with eight catches for 89 yards. He moved the chains on half his catches.
- 3rd & 1 (8 yards)
- 2nd & 16 (17 yards)
- 2nd & 15 (37 yards)
- 3rd & 5 (7 yards)
The Steelers did not score a touchdown in this game, but won as Boswell knocked through six field goals, including three from 50+ yards.
Wildcard Round — Jan. 11, 2025
The Ravens got the last laugh against Pickens, though they didn’t slow him in their final matchup. He caught all five targets his way for 87 yards and a touchdown. He led both teams with receptions and yards.
In the first half, Pickens wasn’t much involved. But in the third quarter, the Steelers and Ravens exchanged scoring drives. Van Jefferson scored a 30-yards touchdown to put the Steelers on the scoreboard, 21-7. The Ravens scored four plays later on a 44-yard Derrick Henry rushing touchdown. The Steelers once more answered as they scored five plays later, Russell Wilson hitting Pickens for a 36-yard touchdown. But that was the end of the Steelers playoff scoring. Even after Pickens helped move the chains late in the third with an 11-yard catch on 3rd & 4. And on their final offensive drive, Pickens gained 32 yards on two catches, helping keep them in the game with eight minutes left in the game. But their last gasp fell incomplete on 4th & 15 with six minutes remaining. The Ravens hammered them in the run game burned out the clock, winning 28-14. and a couple ch