Steelers OC Coaching George Pickens Through Frustrations
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has shown clear signs of frustration at different points during this difficult season and it's gotten to the point that even head coach Mike Tomlin has started to call for more maturity from his young star wideout.
At the beginning of Week 15, with the Steelers facing a pivotal matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner acknowledged that Pickens has been frustrated, but said it's a good thing that he's upset to not be contributing more.
“I think what gets lost in the sauce a lot of times as far as that’s concerned is that these guys are competitors, they want to win and it’s coming from a good place when they show their frustration," Faulkner said. "So we work with them through that, it’s just simple as that. We’re still dealing with young men and we’re developing them on how to deal with certain issues, so that’s kind of the approach we’re taking.”
Faulkner added that he and the coaching staff have been working directly with Pickens to help him channel the frustrations over the state of the offense and his personal production into more positive developments. It's a part of personal development that the coaching staff is responsible for in addition to the product on the field and Faulkner said Pickens has been receptive to some of the coaching he's gotten on that subject.
Faulkner also said there's plenty of work the coaching staff can do to address what's happening on the field. They know what kind of weapon they have in Pickens and are constantly looking for ways to get him the kind of touches that will aleviate those frustrations.
“We definitely need to [get him the ball] and again, that’s something we’re always thinking about trying to scheme and get done and then we got to throw the ball to him," Faulkner said. "So we’re going to continue to never tire on trying to get GP the ball. We know what kind of talent he is.”
Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Stephen A. Smith Blasts Ben Roethlisberger for Steelers Problems
Steelers Have Taken Over North Dakota
Mitch Trubisky Offers Solution to George Pickens's Frustrations