Steelers WR George Pickens causes multiple unsportsmanlike conducts against Bengals but evades ejection
George Pickens was lucky the referee overlooked his unsportsmanlike conduct, allowing him to score the game-winning touchdown against the Bengals.
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George Pickens taunts Bengals fans (Image via ESPN/X)
Anyone betting on George Pickens to act like a refined gentleman during a football game may want to think twice because it will cost them a lot of money. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver failed to stay away from trouble as they played against divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Week 13.
Pickens, not once but twice, found himself in trouble after the referees flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. After he completed a 21-yard run in the first half, the third-year wide receiver dropped the ball over Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt and then taunted the Bengals bench. The referee slapped him with a 15-yard penalty.
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin called Pickens in and gave him a piece of his mind. Minutes later, he scored the Steelers’ first touchdown of the day and celebrated by punting the ball into the crowd.
George Pickens dropping the ball on the Bengals. Mans a menace. ? #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/DnwWjWe5ll
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) December 1, 2024
In the third quarter, the referees penalized him once again. This time for enacting a gun gesture toward the crowd. However, the officials did not eject him from the game, even though it was his second unsportsmanlike conduct.
George Pickens called for another unsportsmanlike conduct for this celebration. #steelers pic.twitter.com/G8yBc6yYZe
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) December 1, 2024
OT Broderick Jones approached Pickens after both penalties to calm him down. In one of the clips, he was clearly unhappy with the Georgia graduate’s attitude.
George Pickens remained in the game despite multiple unsportsmanlike conducts
Usually, the refs will send a player off after two unsportsmanlike conducts, but Pickens managed to evade his fate. This did not sit well with a section of social media.
After the second call, the Bengals faithful Brandon Saho shared an excerpt from the NFL rule book and highlighted the part that the officials should have enforced in Pickens’ situation.
Article 1 deals with how to deal with unsportsmanlike conduct. It clearly states if a player is found guilty of taunting or misbehaving twice, then he will be ejected from the game, no questions asked. Not in this case, as Pickens stayed on and made a few key plays.
This is straight from the official NFL rulebook. According to the highlighted sections, George Pickens should have been disqualified from the game. Care to explain @NFLOfficiating?? pic.twitter.com/AqDkTwsCwa
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) December 1, 2024
After surviving a massive hit from Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, Pickens dealt some serious damage to the Bengals’ secondary. The former second-round pick caught 3 passes for 74 yards and one score.
Pickens leads the Steelers receivers with 55 receptions for 850 yards and 3 touchdowns after 12 games. He is on course for the best year of his NFL career. During the 2023 season, he had 63 receptions for 1140 yards (18.1 yards per catch, which was the best in the league) and 5 touchdowns.
The biggest reason behind Pickens’ big numbers is veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw a staggering 29 completions for 414 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Bengals as the Steelers secured their 9th win of the season with a 44-38 final score.
Related: Unnecessary egoistic fights in college football are getting out of hand and need to stop!
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)