Two weeks ago, following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12’s Thursday Night Football, WR George Pickens made headlines when he blamed the poor weather conditions for the Black and Gold’s loss and alluded to the Browns being a bad football team. His statement is eerily reminiscent of the infamous words of former Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: “The Browns is the Browns.”
While Pickens and JuJu may share similar baggage and sentiments about Cleveland during their time with the Steelers, instead of backtracking on his controversial statements, Pickens took it a step further while speaking to the media in preparation for Week 14’s rematch: “I just go by the record.”
Pickens is, of course, referencing the Cleveland Browns’ record at the time of the Week 12 contest, which was 3-8 following their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and has since dropped to 3-9.
Could Pickens’ statements give extra fuel to a team that has already beaten the Steelers in 2024? Or is this a deeper, more strategic game plan aimed at some much-needed mental warfare in Week 14?