George Pickens matches career high

June 17, 2024

By Larry Holder, Mike DeFabo, Mark Kaboly and Paul Dehner Jr.

The Pittsburgh Steelers discovered an offensive pulse thanks to third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver George Pickens. In the process, they improved a faint playoff heartbeat as the Steelers knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals 34-11 on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

Rudolph and Pickens went on a tear together.

Rudolph went 17-of-27 passing for 290 yards with two touchdowns for a 124.0 passer rating. Pickens scorched the Bengals secondary en route to four receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

It started when Pickens took Rudolph’s first pass attempt for an 86-yard touchdown. Then Pickens came up with a spectacular 44-yard reception on a deep ball along the sideline near the end of the first half. Pickens’ third explosive play occurred on another deep ball from Rudolph, this one going for a 66-yard TD connection in the third quarter.

Rudolph, the Steelers’ 2018 third-round pick, replaced struggling backup QB Mitchell Trubisky as the starter heading into Week 16 and played in relief of injured starter Kenny Pickett. The Steelers’ fans rejoiced with Rudolph’s play by chanting his name during the fourth quarter.

Cincinnati (8-7) saw its three-game winning streak snapped in Saturday’s loss. The Bengals only carry a 14 percent chance to make the playoffs after the defeat, via The New York Times’ playoff simulator. Meanwhile, the Steelers (8-7) improved to a nine percent chance for a postseason berth, up from five percent before the game.