George Pickens shocked at Ravens defense: "If they're not doubling me, I'm surprised"
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The Ravens (3-2) might led Sunday's game for 58 minutes, but what happened in the final 120 seconds of play brought Baltimore's demise to the table and ended up shaping a 17-10 upset by the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2).
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, who entered the week with doubts about his availability but ultimately started, led an eight-play, 80-yard drive to put an end to the Ravens' nightmarish afternoon.
PICKETT TO PICKENS! What a comeback for the @steelers 😮
— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
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That game-winning drive ended with a pass thrown to Steelers WR1 George Pickens, who made the most of the situation by burning Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey savagely on his way to score a 41-yard touchdown.
Speaking after the game about the play, Pickens revealed that he was shocked at the Ravens' defensive scheming against him.
"I'm always a little bit surprised when it's just a one-on-one matchup no safety over the top. With the long speed I have and also the back shoulder game, so if they're not doubling me, I'm a little surprised for sure."
-Â George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens acknowledged that he was "a little bit surprised" with the fact that Baltimore put him in a one-on-one matchup against Humphrey without any safety sitting deeper down the field to help stop him.
The Ravens cornerback, for context, was playing his first game this season after undergoing foot surgery in mid-August and not practicing for more than a month.
"With the long speed I have and also the back-shoulder game," Pickens said, "if they're not doubling me, I'm a little surprised."
"I knew I would be a big factor, not knowing how big or how small a factor it would be, but yeah, I knew I would probably play a significant role for sure."
-Â George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens had one of the best games of his career in Pittsburgh last Sunday, racking up 130 yards on just six receptions including the one above for a touchdown, a game-winning one no less.
Asked about playing a big role in the matchup against the Steelers, Pickens made it clear that he "knew I would be a big factor" before the game started, adding, "I knew I would probably play a significant role."
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And that's exactly what he did: catching passes when they mattered, scoring a touchdown, and putting the Ravens to bed letting the wideouts of the Flock know how this thing should be done. We can only hope they learned something from Pickens and that our boys can put it to use sooner rather than later.
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