Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens had the last laugh.
Pickens heard criticism from seemingly every corner this week leading up to the Steelers' Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night.
The young Pittsburgh wideout raised eyebrows for his decision to not block a defender during a running play in the red zone in the Week 15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Pickens made it worse when he explained to the media that he didn't block on the play to avoid injury.
But the Steelers receiver quickly silenced any critics during the game against Cincinnati on Saturday, as he took a screen pass 86 yards to the house in the first quarter, then burnt the Bengals defense for a 66-yard touchdown reception in the third.
After his second touchdown, cameras caught Pickens sending his critics a clear message without uttering any words.
Silenced the haters. pic.twitter.com/hzXAuaqG4v https://t.co/lUKgLoFOFD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 23, 2023
Pickens mimicked a person talking with his hand, then covered his ears. It was the perfect response from Pickens, who torched the Bengals defense for 195 yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions in Pittsburgh’s 34–11 win.
