via Imago
Aug 28, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Saivion Smith (19) defends Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
via Imago
Aug 28, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Saivion Smith (19) defends Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The officials ejected Pickens late in the last quarter for a hit on his opposite WR Tyler Boyd. And everyone is talking about it.
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The George Pickens ejection
In the dying moments of the game, the Steelers trailed the Bengals by seven. The Steelers opted for an onside kick. But the Bengals WR Tyler Boyd recovered the ball for his team. And here starts the story. The Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens tackled Boyd and started an on-field tussle with the Bengals players. The officials took control of the situation and ejected the Steelers WR. Cincinnati’s lead of seven remained intact till full-time.
#Steelers WR George Pickens was ejected for this hit on Tyler Boyd after he recovered an onside kick: pic.twitter.com/OfGVDgl6of
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 21, 2022
The NFL World is divided on the call of ejection. While some fans acknowledge it was a flag, they don’t agree on the ejection. Others feel that the ejection was warranted. Here are some fan reactions.
This fan thinks that the referee was protecting the Bengals.
Refs gotta protect the Bengals
— Taylor Arnett (@tayloraarnett) November 21, 2022
A fan says it should have been a different call.
Should definitely be an unnecessary roughness, but an ejection? Cmon.
— Jake Headley🌵 (@JakeHeadley) November 21, 2022
This fan had a lot to say.
They had even more dirty plays early in the game. Dirtiest team in the league. Trash franchise over the last 10 years and Tomlin is why they are trash and dirty.
— Who Dey (@9_willt) November 21, 2022
This fan wants some consistency on the calls.
He’s ejected for that and fields get late multiple times after the whistle with no calls some league
— big eddie (@iloveryanpoles) November 21, 2022
And this fan surely isn’t a fan of Pickens.
Soft league, sure, but Pickens has always been like this. Dirty player. Don’t like him
— Andrew Lampke (@AndrewLampkeNFL) November 21, 2022
But for this fan, the call by the referee is not good.
This is an embarrassing ass ejection by the NFL refs.
— Kyle👑 (@FTTB_Nation) November 21, 2022
Soft ass league. https://t.co/DRzXB0UcAr
— Ryan (@ryangatto412) November 21, 2022
The Bengals won the game 37-30 and registered their sixth win of the season.
The Steelers’ struggles
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Pittsburg is struggling to find form this season. The team has won just three games out of the 10 they have played since the start of the 2022 season. And a playoff spot for one of the league’s most successful franchises looks far out of reach. And the Pickens ejection just epitomizes the struggling franchise.
The Steelers’ defense just couldn’t control the Bengals QB Joe Burrow. Even though the defense intercepted two of Burrow’s 39 pass attempts, the QB managed to throw four touchdown passes. He threw 24 completions for a combined 355 yards in the game.
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The Steelers are at the bottom of the AFC North table while the 6-4 Bengals sit second in the same division. The Bengals are in a race to the top with the 7-3 Baltimore Ravens. The team from Pittsburgh is just struggling at the bottom. Can the Bengals carry on with the momentum and make back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Where will the Steelers finish?
