A fight and a fight of words.
George Pickens vented about the Browns, the referees and the snow conditions after the Steelers star receiver got into an altercation with Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II in a 24-19 loss.
Pickens claimed “nothing happened” when asked about Newsom, but said he had a lot to say about the rest of the night.
“Conditions played a huge role in today's game,” Pickens said. Per ESPNafter the AFC North rivals played through a lake-effect snowstorm in the second half.
“I don't think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions helped them today.”
The final 15 minutes were intense as the Browns led 10-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Browns scored an early touchdown, then the Steelers scored two points in three minutes to take a 19-18 lead.
Nick Chubb's second touchdown of the game gave the Browns the lead for good with 57 seconds left.
Pickens was frustrated by two plays in particular in the fourth quarter. It was an uncalled pass interference on a deep pass and a misconnection between him and Russell Wilson on a throw into the end zone.
“The snow, the conditions were really bad,” said Pickens, who finished with four catches for 48 yards. “I think the QB was blind sometimes. And when you're in a situation like that on your opponent's home field, it kind of gives them an advantage.”
After Chubb's touchdown, the Steelers drove the ball to the Browns' 35-yard line to attempt a Hail Mary.
The pass was easily brought down, causing Pickens and Newsome to tangle, leading to a skirmish that spilled from the back of the end zone onto the wall near the fans.
Newsom wrote in X that Pickens was a “fake tough guy.”
With this loss, the Steelers fell to 8-3 and the Browns moved up to 3-8. The two teams will then face off again on December 8th.
