The Pittsburgh Steelers held off the Cincinnati Bengals 44-38 on Sunday, but the margin could have been larger if not for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against Steelers WR George Pickens.
The first came when Pickens purposely dropped the ball on a defender after a first-down run, and the second when he pointed what looked to be a finger gun at the crowd following a deep pass from QB Russell Wilson.
On top of that, Pickens has had several on-field altercations with opponents, most notably against Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome back in Week 12.
Asked about Sunday’s antics in a post-game presser, head coach Mike Tomlin had a blunt response for the star player.
“He’s just gotta grow up man,” Tomlin told reporters. “It’s an emotional game. These divisional games are big. He’s got a target on his back because he’s George. He understands that, but he’s gotta grow up and he’s gotta grow up in a hurry.”
Outside of the penalties, Pickens caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Wilson early in the game. The Steelers are now 9-3 and slated for a rematch against the 3-8 Cleveland Browns next week.
