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Greg Newsome II Appears to Slander George Pickens After Browns' Heated Win vs. Steelers

The AFC North beef continues.

Tom Dierberger

Pickens caught four passes for 48 yards in the Steelers' loss to Cleveland on Thursday night.
Pickens caught four passes for 48 yards in the Steelers' loss to Cleveland on Thursday night. / Amazon Prime Video
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The AFC North is buzzing with trash talk following the Cleveland Browns' 24–19 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.

A few hours after the Steelers' Hail Mary attempt in the closing seconds was swatted to the ground and Cleveland secured its third win of the 2024 campaign, Browns defensive back Greg Newsome II appeared to take a shot at Pickens on social media.

"Fake tough guy," Newsome posted with a few laughing emojis.

While Newsome never mentioned Pickens in his post, it's pretty easy to assume he's referencing the Steelers third-year receiver based on the game's final play. Defended closely on the Hail Mary attempt, Pickens had his hands tangled up in Newsome's face mask and helmet as the football was batted down onto the snowy field.

The two players continued shoving one another behind the end zone after the play ended, a confrontation that led to Pickens being held back by an official and field security near the stands.

Pickens, who caught four passes for 48 yards against Cleveland, didn't pull any punches in his postgame comments, either.

"Conditions played a huge, huge part in today's game," Pickens said after the game. "I don't really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions saved them today."

Now that's the AFC North football we know and love.

The good news? Pickens and Newsome get to sort out their beef in just two weeks when the Browns visit the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Dec. 8.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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