Insane George Pickens catch was lone bright spot in Steelers loss

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are not happy with the outcome on Thursday night, but at least we got to witness one of the most impressive catches by an NFL receiver.

I’m not about to get over this loss easily. After a competitive first half that saw the Steelers exit the tunnel with a 14-13 lead, Pittsburgh’s offense completely fell apart in the second half — earning just 3 more points in the third and fourth quarters and eventually losing by multiple scores.

A third straight game of an abysmal offensive showing is hard to stomach. But amidst all the negative talk surrounding the Steelers right now, I do want to try to take something positive away from this. George Pickens is a beast in the very best way.

The stat line for Pickens this week (once again) was not impressive — just 3 receptions and 39 yards. However, the 21-year-old receiver made a catch that got fans up out of their seat,s and Al Michaels comparing him to Odell Beckham Jr.

Deep down the sideline, Pickens made a miraculous one-handed catch extending backward with his body completely parallel to the ground. In case you missed it, here are multiple angles of the spectacular catch from the official NFL Twitter account:

This catch took the world by storm so quickly that even the NFL’s Twitter account changed its background image to a still shot of George Pickens fully extending for the football on this play. While we clearly have a right to be upset with how this game ultimately played out, this is a catch that will be shown in highlight reels for centuries to come, and many of us got to witness it in real-time.

Steelers WR George Pickens is only scratching the surface

As a former five-star recruit who broke out as an 18-year-old for the Georgia Bulldogs before declaring for the draft at 20 years old, the sky truly is the limit for what George Pickens can offer the Steelers and the NFL. Though he turned just 21 years old during the pre-draft process, he already has fantastic body control and natural football ability. Couple this with the fact that he’s 6’3 1/4” and runs 4.47, and you have a wide receiver who is cut from a very rare cloth.

As soon as the Pittsburgh Steelers figure out a way to use this kid, he’s going to be incredibly hard to stop. Sadly, Matt Canada’s offense is seriously lacking in the creativity department, and Pickens has rarely been used on routes over the middle of the field– an area Canada and Mitch Trubisky are apparently allergic to.

With a bit more creative play-calling, Pickens has the upside to develop into one of the most impressive young receivers in the NFL. The flashes are all there, and it’s been that way going back to his Georgia days. He just needs to be a bit more consistent.

In time, we could be looking at one of the most physically imposing skill players this league has to offer. Regardless of whether or not he reaches these lofty expectations, this spectacular catch against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football is one that won’t soon be forgotten.